Suffering and Rebirth
by scattered-dimensions
Summary: A dark Miko with mysterious powers and a centuries old grudge exacts revenge upon the sons of InuTaishio. Her plan goes awry, leaving Sesshomaru and Kagome trapped in her time while InuYasha frantically searches for a way to get her back.
1. Chapter 1

"Three, really? Wow, you guys sure have been busy." Kagome exclaimed much to Sango's embarrassment, though it wasn't overbearingly so. The two women were alone, save the three small children sleeping in the next room.

"I guess you could say that. What about you? It's been four years. How are things in your world on the other side of the well?" Sango asked taking a sip of tea.

"Okay, I guess. I finally finished school…barely and I got to spend time with my family, but…" Kagome responded sadly.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I know it must be hard." Sango said covering her friend's hand with her own.

Kagome lifted her head and smiled. She'd missed Sango so much. She'd missed coming here and being able to be with the ones she felt closest to. They had fought for their lives, laughed, cried, and everything in between together. It was a bond not even 500 years could break.

"It's okay. I need to talk about it. It won't do me any good if I keep everything bottled up inside. It's harder than I imagined, but being without all of you was worse. I don't know, I guess when the Shikon jewel sent me back to my time, it felt like a huge part of my soul died without you guys. Mom saw it and understood. We had a nice talk before I left. It hurts to not be able to see them again, but I carry my family with me wherever I go. I did the right thing. This is where I belong." Kagome explained, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Oh, Kagome…" Sango scooted closer to the younger woman and wrapped an arm around her shoulders for comfort.

Kagome dried her eyes and sat up straighter, plastering a smile on her face again. She refused to dwell on the subject any longer. There was much she wanted to catch up on and her crying over spilled milk wasn't helping.

"I'm so happy for you and Miroku. Where is he, by the way?" Kagome asked changing the subject and Sango's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"He's out doing what the slimy houshi does best." She responded her voice tense.

"Swindling people." Kagome concluded and Sango nodded.

Kagome couldn't help her laughter. It was nice to know some things hadn't changed. It wasn't long before Sango was joining in on the revelry.

"He should be back soon. He took InuYasha with him." Sango continued after she regained control over herself.

"InuYasha…How is he? And Shippo? I didn't see him earlier." Kagome asked excitedly.

There had been so much commotion when she returned not to mention the fun task of having to walk back to Edo by herself lugging a backpack that was literally stuffed with her entire life. By the time she made it into the village, Sango had swept her away and had relieved her of her burden. The slayer had answered every excited question about her new growing family and had beamed proudly when she talked about her children. It had been a soothing balm on Kagome's soul just to hear her sister's voice.

"Well, Shippo is studying with the Kitsune Elders and is a very accomplished pupil. He stops by every so often to check in and torment InuYasha."

"I would expect nothing less." Kagome giggled.

"Just wait until you see him. He's gotten so confident and InuYasha has a hard time getting near him with all his new training. Shippo  
reached level 7 on his exams. So, now their fights are finally evenly matched." Sango chuckled. "InuYasha is doing well. He has become the village protector and follows Miroku around on different errands. They've become closer since you left. He's missed you terribly. We all have." Sango confided.

"I hate the way I left, but everything happens for a reason. I'm just glad I'm back." Kagome said, guilt gnawing at her gut even though her absence hadn't been her fault.

Just about that time a cry echoed through the two room hut. Sango excused herself. A short time later, Sango reentered the room with a tiny bundle in her arms and the twins padding behind her.

Kagome couldn't believe how adorable they were. The little girl looked exactly like Sango and her twin brother was almost a spitting image of Miroku. She offered the little ones a smile while they peaked out from behind their mother's legs. The girl returned it with a nervous blush and the boy hid his face behind his mother's kimono. Sango laughed and patted her son's head.

"He's shy." She explained with all the pride a mother should have. "Yuuta, Emi, say hello to your Aunt Kagome." Sango urged.

Emi drifted out from behind her mother and took several steps forward. She bowed respectfully taking Kagome by surprise. She was only three years old, but the manners she exhibited were outstanding. Leave it to Miroku and Sango to make sure their children were courteous from the beginning. Kagome's smile widened.

"It's a pweasure to meet you, Aunt Kagome. Mommy talks about you all vee time." She said and Kagome felt her heart melt.

"No, Emi, it's my pleasure. How beautiful you are." Kagome replied with a bow of her own or, at least the best one she could muster from her seat on the floor.

Emi blushed and cracked a huge smile. She looked back at her bashful brother and waved him forward.

Yuuta came out from behind Sango somewhat skittishly, but clearly empowered by his twin sister's confidence. He bowed, keeping his eyes on the floor, his fingers fidgeting with his haori.

"Nice to meet you, Aunt Kagome." He said in a voice that lacked the childish inflection of his sister.

"It's an honor, Yuuta. I bet you are a good big brother, huh?" Kagome answered bowing again and the boy nodded with a proud smile.

"And this is Kaori. Do you want to hold her?" Sango asked kneeling beside her friend.

Kagome peered down at the yawning bundle of joy and nodded, holding her arms out. Sango placed the baby in her arms and Kaori cooed, small bubbles coming from her mouth cutely.

"High there, little one. I'm so very glad to meet you." Kagome said softly and Koari squealed batting at Kagome's long bangs.

She was so precious. All three of them were. Kagome felt the sting of happy tears prickle in her eyes, but she held them back. There was a lot of catching up to do and three new personalities to get used to. Yuuta walked over and settled himself in his mother's lap while Emi looked over Kagome's shoulder at her little sister.

Kagome was so happy she'd been able to get back through the well. She would have always wondered what happened to her friends, if they had indeed gotten married and started a family, were they happy. The answer to all of those questions was yes and a thousand fold yes. Sango seemed happier than she had ever seen her.

"Anyone up to telling their Aunt Kagome all about their Uncle Kohaku?" Kagome teased and was immediately bombarded with two little voices talking at the same time.

She giggled and patted the baby's back in her arms. She was finally home and it felt wonderful.

* * *

"Look here, lady, we perform legitimate exorcisms." InuYasha huffed displaying his bloody fang in front of the woman's face.

Her green eyes narrowed, but never left his.

"If there were demons on this property, I would have felt them. This is nothing but a sham." She exclaimed standing her ground.

"My dear woman, you wound me…" Miroku started but the disgruntled woman held up her hand to silence him.

"Enough out of you, houshi. You will receive no payment today." She said tersely.

The pair of friends watched as she placed her hand over each of the sutras plastered on the gates of her property. They fizzled with a reaction akin to acid and disappeared in a rupture of black energy. Miroku's eyes widened and he took a step back.

"Oi, how'd you do that?" InuYasha asked suspiciously, his hand gripping the hilt of Tetsusaiga tightly.

"Wouldn't you like to know, hanyou, but alas my patience is gone for the day. Leave." The woman retorted haughtily.

InuYasha could feel the dark energy radiating off the woman now, but hadn't before she touched the sutras. In fact she had seemed like a regular villager, just one who preferred to live within the forest. InuYasha took a step forward, but Miroku's hand on his shoulder stopped him from going any further.

"Forgive our intrusion, miss…My apologies. It seems I never caught your name." Miroku said brightly his staff's rings tinkling as he bowed respectfully.

The woman turned towards the monk and returned his bow. InuYasha watched her painted lips tilt in the corners, but her green eyes showed no mirth. He was getting a bad feeling about her.

"I am called Noriko." She said pleasantly enough.

InuYasha felt Miroku's hand tighten on his shoulder sending his senses on high alert. Something was way off about this woman and if he had to guess, Miroku knew what it was.

"We bid you good day, Noriko." Miroku responded and tugged InuYasha to leave.

The hanyou sheathed his sword and followed the houshi to a safe distance before stopping him, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"What was that all about?" He demanded and Miroku plastered on one of those fake, wining smiles.

"Whatever do you mean, my friend?" He asked waving his hand about.

InuYasha wasn't buying it not for a second.

"You know damn well what I mean. Who was that?" InuYasha grumbled crossing his arms over his chest.

"You heard her introduce herself, didn't you?" Miroku asked, nervousness marring his scent.

"I ain't stupid, monk. What's going on?" InuYasha persisted.

Miroku entered his personal space quickly, his eyes darting about as if checking to see if anyone else was around.

"Not here. Not now." He whispered and turned back to the path that led home.

InuYasha stood stunned for a moment, not expecting the intensity from his friend. He knew there was something wrong with that woman. He found himself studying his surroundings as if to find the answers in the brush and trees that lined the path. The only thing that met his gaze were the green eyes of a stray calico cat. He stared at the feline for a moment wondering when it had wondered into the vicinity. He hadn't even smelled it. After a moment of inspection, he just shrugged and jogged to catch up to Miroku. He'd grill the lecherous monk when they got back to Edo.

Noriko followed the duo into town, her guise cleverly disguised as a common place feline. She smirked mentally at the stupidity of dogs. She had only met one in the many centuries she had lived that had earned her respect and he was long departed from this world. She seriously doubted she would ever meet another with enough intelligence to gain the same amount of reverence from her or tolerance for that matter.

There was something special about this hanyou though, something familiar, something that brought up the long forgotten pain of the past. His eyes, golden like the ones she had served years ago. She had heard that Lord InuTaishio, the Great Dog General, had taken a human woman as wife and produced a halfblooded son. Could this whelp be him? She wasn't sure and before she reacted, she needed more information.

She paused in her trek when InuYasha did. He raised his head to the air and scented the breeze. She quickly scurried behind a bush along the trail, worried he had discovered her, but it was for nothing. Her cloaking barrier remained strong. A huge smile spread across the hanyou's face showing off his fangs. He threw an arm around the houshi and continued forward.

"Kagome's back, Miroku." He exclaimed and the monk's smile matched his companion's.

"See, InuYasha, I told you she wouldn't be gone forever." Miroku told him and the hanyou nodded.

The pair quickened their steps back to the village as did Noriko. She was curious as to whom this Kagome was and what she meant to InuYasha. It was odd enough that a monk followed a half demon around. It was odder still that this hanyou could walk around in a human settlement without the locals looking at him with fear.

She kept to the shadows of the buildings and took to the roofs when they neared a modest hut near the rice fields. A girl dressed very strangely came rushing from the hut, her long, dark tresses fluttering behind her. She crashed into the red clad hanyou nearly toppling him in her haste and excitement.

"Kagome!" InuYasha said lifting the petite girl off her feet in a giant hug, one that the girl returned with the same vigor.

"Oh, InuYasha. I've missed you so much." Kagome whispered to her friend and Noriko could see the hanyou's cheeks redden in a blush.

She rolled her feline eyes in annoyance. This display was offending, but she would persevere. There was something odd about this girl. Her scent was different from those in the village and her clothing was of a make and material she had never seen. If it were not for her heightened senses, she would have assumed her to be a woman of ill repute. She was showing entirely too much skin to be considered decent, but the pure energy radiating off the girl belied her concerns. It had been a very long time since she had encountered a Miko so strong and one so pure of soul.

An unbidden memory flowed to the surface of her mind and no matter how hard she fought to shove it back into the recesses, it wouldn't obey.

_"Master, such exertions would only serve to upset you injuries more." A very young Noriko said to the then heir of the Western Lands._

_"They attacked these lands, Noriko. They will pay with their lives." InuTaishio attempted to stand using Sounga, but his leg gave way and caused him to stumble._

_Noriko caught his towering form in her arms and eased him back down onto the forest floor. She helped adjust him until he was leaning comfortably against a tree._

_"Please, Master. You need rest. Allow me to fetch the fortress guards to assist you." She pleaded rising to do just that._

_An elegantly clawed hand reached out and stopped her movements. She couldn't explain the reason for the sudden heat in her cheeks or the need to look towards the river away from him, nor could she explain why her heart was beating so fast._

_"No. I will return when I am able. Perhaps you are right. I will pursue the transgressors after I've healed and with your help, my dear Miko, I'm certain it will take no time at all." He said his eyes and voice softening._

Noriko bared her fangs at the flashback and shook her head to rid it of the last vestiges of the vision. She had no intentions of bringing up the past. It served her no purpose now. It only proved to torment and distract her. Usually she kept her thoughts under strict control, but the presence of the golden eyed hanyou had put a crack in her well cultivated mental dam.

She shook her head again. No sense in dwelling on one little slip up. There was work to be done. She looked down to observe the odd group and discovered they were gone. She cursed silently to herself and jumped from the roof with the grace of any cat.

As she neared the door, she was assaulted by the tiny feet of children rushing through the opening and into the yard outside the hut. She yowled as one stepped on her tail, attracting unwanted attention to herself. The children stopped tossing the ball around and looked down at her. She cringed.

"Wook, Yuuta. It's a kitty." The little girl said her childish excitement full to bursting.

Noriko took a cautious step back. She knew what was going to happen next and she didn't relish the idea. She was no cuddle toy.

"Here kitty, kitty." The boy cooed inching closer.

Noriko took one regretful look at the door of the hut where she could hear the muted voices of the odd Miko and her companions, then tucked tail and ran. No matter how much she wanted to know about the hanyou, she would not subjugate herself to the tortures of children to get it. There will always be another day.

She could hear the cries of the children as she entered the forest and sighed a huge breath of relief. At least they weren't pursuing her. She watched from the safety of the underbrush as the adults exited the hut to rally around the upset children.

Kagome picked the wailing little boy up and was whispering calming reassurances to him. The little girl was motioning frantically to a woman that she favored who was holding a baby in her arms. That must have been the children's mother and from the way the houshi hovered over her, Noriko could guess that they were a family.

She held her breath when a twin tailed neko trotted out of the hut, the demon's attention snapping in her direction. The twin tail mewed and snorted then set about the task of distracting the children who immediately picked her up and began cuddling her. Such was the fate Noriko had narrowly avoided. She was relieved that she had been dismissed by the neko, otherwise it would make her fact finding mission more than difficult.

Noriko had a perfect, unobstructed view of InuYasha and she studied him intently. He stood slightly apart from the group of consoling adults with his arms shoved into the billowing sleeves of his haori. The longer she studied him, the more she came to the realization that he did favor the Great Dog General and it was more than just his eyes and silver hair. Noriko slunk further into the shadows smiling to herself. If her suspicions were correct, retribution would be dealt swiftly and with as much mercy as the late InuTaishio had given her those many, many years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

InuYasha and Kagome sat on the branches of Goshinboku in silent companionship overlooking the moon washed clearing holding the Bone Eater's well. InuYasha couldn't believe all the changes that had occurred in the past six years since Kagome first travelled through time.

She had revived his arrogant self and had led him on a quest that resulted in him finding a deeper meaning to life. He had a family now, the first one he'd had since his mother passed. He'd been so young when she left him and life for him had been grueling being a half-demon who didn't fit in either world.

Then he had followed Kagome in the search for the Shikon jewel shards and killed Naraku. He was finally accepted for who he was, at least by the human populace. He had found contentment in his life and owed it all to the tiny girl leaning against his shoulder.

No, Kagome was a woman now something he noticed the moment she stepped out of Sango and Miroku's hut.

He had left her a girl in the safety of her own time against his will and had spent every day of the past four years scoping out the inactive well anxiously awaiting her return. He knew she would come back. She had made him a promise to stay with him forever and Kagome never broke a promise.

He couldn't even explain the full extent of the joy he felt when her scent wafted to him on the breeze. It was like comfort and the true sense of peace mixed with a happiness that had him bursting at the seams trying to contain it. Then he had seen her rushing from the hut, tears in her blue eyes and a smile on her face.

He hardly recognized her as the same person. She had changed so much. At first, his sluggish mind thought her to be a waking dream, but her scent gave away the truth jolting his brain to catch up with the warm, very real presence of her in his arms crushing the life out of him. She was sweet like cherry blossoms in the spring. No one smelled like Kagome.

She had always been an oddity and a constant in his life. He could always count on her to worry about him even when it was unnecessary and she always thought of him when they were separated. Her embrace told him everything before she had spoken the words that meant so much to him. He had thought of her every day, sometimes all day, during their separation and when she said she missed him, he knew, without a doubt, that she had thought of him just as much.

She had grown in their time apart. Her hair was as long as Kikyou's had been, but that's where the similarities ended between the two mikos. Kagome had lost the baby fat of her youth. Her face had slimmed down and her lips were fuller than he remembered. She had filled out into soft feminine curves that accentuated her petite stature perfectly and he had a hard time hating the look on her.

He had ribbed her about still being short and she responded with a half-hearted punch to the arm. Her hands were more delicate than they had been with long, rounded nails. Yes, Kagome had returned a woman and there was no denying that.

She also seemed rather reserved than her usual bubbly self, but Miroku had assured him it would pass in time. Kagome had just left her family to be with them. For now, she seemed relatively comfortable just being close to him and he wasn't going to complain. He'd missed her something fierce. If she needed time, then that's exactly what he would give her.

"InuYasha?" Kagome said softly breaking the silence.

He hummed his response enjoying the sound of her voice and the feeling of her warmth seeping into his arm.

"What do I do now that I'm here to stay?" She asked and InuYasha started, his eyes going wide.

He hadn't expected her to ask him that sort of question. He was never good at giving advice. Kagome was always so sure of herself. She had the mind for planning whereas he didn't. He honestly didn't know what to say.

After a few moments she shifted beside him drawing his attention back to her. The look she had on her face almost terrified him. For the first time since he had met her, she just looked so…lost. He couldn't stand it.

"You'll stay with me." He said spontaneously.

When his mind caught up with his mouth he blushed furiously and looked away hiding his face in his bangs.

"Thanks, InuYasha, but I don't want to be a burden." She said her voice hushed.

She didn't sound very happy about his offer, but instead of getting offended, he chose to heed Miroku's advice. She was an independent, head-strong woman who had just lost her family so to speak. Of course there would be a time of mourning and adjustment. He just needed to be patient.

"We'll figure it out, Kagome. Don't worry. You're not a burden to anyone here." He said confidently hoping she would hear the truth in his words.

He had hoped his assurances would lift her mood, but when he heard the tale tell sounds of sobs and smelled the salt of her tears, his heart dropped into his stomach. He hated it when she cried. It made him feel like an idiot, mostly because he didn't know what he did or what to do to fix it.

He wrapped his arm around her out of instinct and she buried her face in his haori. He let her cry herself to sleep before drawing her into the safety of his lap and joining her in the land of dreams with his nose buried in her hair.

Noriko watched the couple from her perch in a nearby tree. She had overheard their conversation on their way to the Bone Eater's well. You can imagine her surprise when she discovered the Miko had been away from her companions for over four years and had been the guardian of the Jewel of Four Souls. What a juicy discovery, though it held no bearing on what Noriko was doing here. She idly wondered if the girl knew of the treachery of demons against their kind, but the innocence the young woman exuded told her the answer. Kagome was completely oblivious.

InuYasha, however, remained an enigma. She hadn't gained anything useful on his lineage and that was more than a little frustrating. Her mind had been plagued with memories of the past since laying eyes on him and she was certain he was a descendant of the previous Western Lord. Who else could trigger such a reaction? There were easier ways to discover her answers, but the very thought of seeing Lord Sesshomaru again made her stomach turn. She had no desire to look upon the face that resembled _his_.

So, instead she sat through several hours of complete silence observing the two and wound up nauseas anyway. The adoration they held for one another was disgusting and it was nearly painful to watch, but she forced herself to. It wouldn't do to come this far and miss something. Her efforts though, were for naught.

When they finally succumbed to sleep, Noriko jumped from her hiding place and transformed back into her human form. She stretched enjoying the feeling of being in her skin once more. She found shape shifting to be restraining, but she could admit it had its uses. She would have never been able to survive as long as she had or acquire the knowledge she had without it.

She wondered back through the woods to her hut. She inspected each herb she had meticulously planted and found them to be flourishing quite beautifully. If InuYasha was who she thought, well, these little green lovelies would be vital to her plans. Kami help anyone who got in her way.

She drew water for a bath and poured herself a cup of sake, downing it in one gulp, the burn barely noticeable. She disrobed and inspected herself in front of the mirror. She was still young in appearance, everything just as it had been centuries ago. Her hair was shorter, but the same deep onyx it had always been and her eyes were a radiant emerald.

She was a beautiful woman and had been told so throughout the many years by just as many men. This too had its uses, ones she exploited to her fullest advantage. After leaving the Western Lands, she had done what she had to. Survival had been her main priority until the day she could finally repay her betrayer. Now, that day seemed to be quickly approaching and it made her almost giddy with anticipation.

She sunk into the heated water contemplating her next move. She had aroused suspicions earlier with her display of power as minute as it had been, so approaching the group in human form was out of the question. They wouldn't be able to distinguish her from a regular cat in her animal form, not with her cloaking barrier in place, but the old Miko in the village was different and had years of knowledge to her advantage. She was sure to notice the difference in her aura. It was something she couldn't afford. There had to be around it, but what?

Noriko sighed. Perhaps she was being too hasty. She had waited over 500 years to exact her revenge. What would another week or two hurt? She needed to set the board smartly. She would only get one chance. Her powers had been reserved for just this reason and she didn't know if she would be able to muster enough strength to do it a second time, that is, if she ever got a chance for a second time. Failure was not an option.

She had witnessed the way InuYasha had used that sword and it was beyond her fighting abilities. Her purification powers were no use considering he was half human. At best, she would immobilize him for a week or more, but his personality told her that he would be just as dangerous in human form. The only plus would be the fact that he wouldn't be able to wield that demonic sword of his.

Then there was the monk who was no push over himself. She knew from the way the houshi's wife carried herself that she had some experience as a warrior and the neko, by nature, was very protective. Kagome was another chink in the chain, but her abilities had yet to present themselves. There were too many variables and if she learned anything about the display with the children earlier, it was that they would come together as a collective group to protect their own. That could be a serious problem and her demise.

Observation was the safest route for now. She had a feeling all would be explained in time and she could afford the humility of patience if only for a short while. Noriko allowed her head to rest on the lip of the tub and her mind wondered once again to a time and place she wished she could forget.

_The doors to the Western Lord's study slammed open with a very irate InuTaishio emerging from them and storming down the hall. Noriko felt her breath catch in her throat and she struggled to remain in control of her powers. It would be most unwise to allow her control to slip in the middle of a demon infested fortress. Besides, there was no real threat. Master InuTaishio's youki was just oppressive at the moment due to his anger and it caused her reiki to flare in natural response._

_He stalked up to her, his nostrils flaring as he attempted to regain control over himself. She knew what the meeting was about and had overheard part of the conversation, or yelling match as it were. InuTaishio wanted to travel his future lands, to familiarize himself with his subjects, but Lord Masahiro was vehemently against it and that had enraged the young Prince. _

_She could understand the views of both of them, but would stand by her Lord's wishes if it came down to her decision. Master InuTaishio was very powerful in his young age, wielding a sword possessed by a demon from Hell, a blade that not even his father could handle. His presence in the surrounding human villages would disturb the locals and with their alliances still in infancy, it could prove disastrous. Still, she couldn't bear to see him so upset._

_"Master?" She inquired after he didn't move from in front of her. Clearly he wanted something._

_"Has father given you instructions for the day?" InuTaishio asked his temper still marring his deep voice._

_"No, the day is my own to do as I please." She answered respectfully._

_"Then you shall accompany me." He said and turned toward the exit leaving no room for argument._

_Noriko blinked twice before her legs moved to follow. She watched his long, silver ponytail swing to and fro as he walked and was mesmerized by the way the sun glinted off of his spiked pauldrons. Only then did she realize they were outside the fortress walls heading to an unknown destination. She averted her eyes immediately once she realized she'd been staring. It wasn't proper._

_As if hearing her thoughts, InuTaishio stopped near a creek and set down on a fallen log. He looked up to her and flashed a rare smile turning her knees to mush. She had no choice but to sit beside him, lest she embarrass herself by falling down. He invoked strange reactions in her from the most simplistic things._

_"Why do you serve my father?" He asked out of the blue, but it was a question she was accustomed to._

_So many people asked her that, both human and youkai. It was strange to everyone that a Miko would willingly serve a Taiyoukai, but she believed it to be for the best for both species. She wished to set an example for generations to come._

_"It is simple, Master InuTaishio. I believe a bridge needs to be made between our worlds. Not all demons are evil just as not all humans are good. There needs to be a happy medium where both mortals and demons can learn to work together. Lord Masahiro was the only one willing to try." She answered and he nodded like usual._

_"Father is most wise." He said then paused to turn and face her. "I wish to know of these lands, of places I've never seen. Will you tell me of the ones you know?" He asked earnestly._

_"Of course, Master." She replied with a small nod._

_"Please, Noriko, call me InuTaishio when we are like this." He admonished gently, his golden eyes boring into hers._

_She felt heat rise into her cheeks and an uncontrollable smile grew across her face. She nodded again and began describing the village she had come from while he sat with rapt attention hanging onto every word she spoke._

_That evening, he escorted her back to her own personal chambers, her hand secured in the crook of his arm. He bid her pleasant dreams and bestowed a chaste kiss upon her knuckles. When she slept that night, her dreams were filled with the fading sunlight glinting off spiked armor, of silver hair, and golden eyes._

Noriko growled in frustration. Why did this keep happening? She stood from the water and slipped into her robe. She needed to meditate, to cleanse her mind of the phantoms of long ago. She had already lived it. She didn't need a refresher. She left her hut in in irritation, not caring that she was inappropriately dressed. No one ventured this far in the woods after dark anyway and if they did, the high fence surrounding her property would keep out prying eyes.

She plopped down in the midst of her garden and took in several deep breaths to calm herself. It was a well-worn procedure, one she had done religiously over the years. She saw the flicker of jagged blue stripes on alabaster skin and closed off her mind. To her relief, the trance like state over took her immediately. She had a sneaking suspicion that even this wouldn't help her before long, but she would cross that bridge when she got there. For now, she was going to enjoy the fleeting feeling of peace.


	3. Chapter 3

If there was one thing that always amazed him about Kagome it was the way she could go from happy and jovial, to forlorn and crying, to angry and screaming so loud he had to cover his sensitive ears to keep them from bleeding, all in the span of moments. Now was just one of those times and all InuYasha wanted to do was crawl into a hole somewhere to escape the scary version of his friend and a possible sitting.

"Damn it, InuYasha!"

Or twelve.

She had been back for an entire week and already she was bossing him around. He just wanted to help. She said she wanted a place of her own so she wouldn't be imposing on Sango and Miroku's privacy. So, he found her one. She also said she didn't mind them living together that way he didn't have to sleep in the trees. So they did. She never said she would go into raging fits every time he brought home something that bled for supper or when he would track in dirt that could easily be swept up or if he didn't bathe to her specifications.

Today, he had done everything on that list and was cowering in a corner clutching his bathing supplies to his chest with a white knuckled grip waiting for the storm to pass. He dared not move and draw unnecessary attention to himself when she was like this. Miroku hadn't been joking when he said she would come back to herself. It had happened with a vengeance.

"I don't see how anyone who walks around barefooted can track in so much dirt. Uggh. There's blood mixed in with it, InuYasha, and it dried." She ranted while scrubbing the floor.

InuYasha felt a chill go down his spine and he gulped. She was going to say _the word_ any minute now, he just knew it. There were a lot of bloody footprints.

"As sensitive as your nose is, I would think you would want to get this mess off of you as fast as possible, not bring it into your home. I live here too, you know… Eww, this one has fur." She continued.

He just wanted to melt into the cracks of the wood flooring and disappear.

Everything had been going good today. They had shared a laughter filled breakfast and he helped her in the garden afterwards. They had spent the rest of the day doing odd jobs for the villagers earning a meager penchant. It wasn't much, but it was enough to sustain them for a short time.

They had visited Miroku and Sango. Their afternoon had been filled with giggles and the laughter of children. It made InuYasha's heart nearly swell out of his chest when he saw Kagome holding Kaori. She'd make a wonderful mother and it wasn't the first time he'd thought that.

When he killed their supper, he made sure to clean it in the woods so that he wouldn't spoil the day they had shared. He didn't think twice about walking into his own home. Huge mistake.

She'd been so happy to see that he only brought in the steaks and she had cooked it without complaint. The meal was delicious and had been eaten while they talked about the children and their crazy antics. He got to tell her about the plan he had to make her a tub like the one she had in her time and she had been so excited. Their conversation was a hodgepodge of random subjects and the most pleasant one he'd had in a long time. She had smiled nearly the whole day.

Her happiness didn't last, however, because during the meal clean up, she began to reminisce about her mother's cooking and it sent her into a sobbing fit. He had attempted to comfort her with a hug, which she openly accepted sending his heart into a gallop.

That had been the beginning of the end for him.

She dried her eyes and right before she pulled out of his embrace, she discovered the barely noticeable splatter stains on his garments, then the blood caked footprints leading from the door to where they'd been sitting. She exploded.

Now, he was fearful for his health and anyone else's who came through that door.

"Honestly, InuYasha, you should be the one doing this." She grumbled.

He would gladly clean it up if it spared him her wrath, but he had learned from experience, nothing would satisfy her in a moment like this and he would get sat into oblivion. Yes, it was best to just remain very still and very, very quiet.

Before he knew it, Kagome was standing over him with her hands on her hips, the sleeves to her haori tied up around her shoulders to keep them from getting dirty. He flinched. Here it comes.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, hmm?" She asked tapping her foot impatiently.

"Sorry." He nearly squeaked and he saw her countenance soften.

She sighed and dropped her arms. He took a chance and stood up hoping against hope that it wasn't a stupid move.

"Me too. I just don't feel like myself lately. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Kagome said apologetically and InuYasha felt some of his anxiety fade away. "That doesn't mean tracking bloody footprints in the house is okay."

He felt the tension within his chest come back to life with those added words of admonishment and began looking for an escape route.

"It won't happen again, promise. So, I'm going to bathe…if that's okay." He said nervously inching around her slowly.

Kagome nodded and he slipped out the door quickly taking the bucket of soiled water with him. In reality, he hadn't even noticed what he had done until she saw it and now he felt like a fool. Kagome could get sick because of that mess. He really did need to be more careful. Sometimes he forgot how fragile humans really were.

He paused to dump the bucket in the underbrush along the path to the river. A flash of orange caught his eye and piqued his curiosity. He took off after the mysterious being leaving his bathing supplies and the bucket behind. He was in no rush to get home and a little distraction never hurt anyone. Besides, it would be smart to get dirty before his bath; otherwise she'd just sit him repeatedly.

He caught a glance of a furry creature bearing the same orange color out of the corner of his eye and altered his course to follow. He crashed through the underbrush at nowhere near his usual speed, trying his best not to overly frighten the creature. It didn't smell demonic. In fact, it didn't have much of a scent at all which was odd.

He was very invested in the chase at this point, but had to come to a skidding halt when he reached a clearing. His mysterious creature was a calico cat and it sat in the soft grass of the clearing looking up at him with intelligent eyes as if it was waiting for him. He regarded the feline for a moment shocked that he'd actually chased it through the woods. Damn his canine instincts. Well, at least nobody was around to witness it.

This cat was familiar somehow, but he couldn't place it. He sniffed the air trying to jog his memory and discovered that the animal's scent was no different from any other he had smelled before, but was a little weaker than he expected. He supposed that answered the question as to why he couldn't sense it during his pursuit.

He crouched low to not frighten it any more than he probably already had, not that you could tell by looking at it. He never was a cat person, but Kagome might enjoy the company. He'd do anything to help her adjust to this life. She had Buyo in her time and this one had almost the same markings. Maybe this fuzzy thing would help her feel more at home.

"Hey there, little guy. You lost?" He asked feeling right foolish when the cat cocked its head to the side dumbly.

He rolled his eyes and moved forward. Surprisingly, the cat stayed put, its tail flicking back and forth. He was able to get within arm's length of the feline with no reaction from it other than its assessing emerald gaze looking up at him warily. It had probably belonged to someone else. It certainly didn't act feral.

He reached out a clawed hand and smoothed his fingertips over the cat's head. He felt it go rigid under his touch, but it didn't back away. Maybe the separation from its previous owner had been traumatic. He knew all about that. Having to fend for yourself in this world was no fun.

After a few more experimental strokes, InuYasha moved closer. Only then did the animal back away, its eyes wide and suspicious of his intent.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You hungry? I have food back at my place."

The cat gave him what he thought was a glare, but the expression faded so fast he couldn't be sure.

"What do you say? Warm bed, full belly, not a care in the world. My friend, Kagome is really nice…sometimes. Just don't trail blood in the house."

The cat took a step towards him, then another and another, until it was pushing its head up against the palm of his hand. This was a good sign. Now, all he had to do was pick it up and take it back. His redemption was so close he could taste it.

"Alright, I'm going to pick you up now."

He scoffed at the idiocy of himself. Like the cat could really understand him. He went about the motion anyway and the feline allowed it. It even purred when he cradled it to his chest. He scratched it gently behind the ears and trudged back towards the hut he shared with Kagome.

"So InuYasha got you a cat?" Shippo asked watching the feline lounging on a shelf and Kagome nodded happily. "What did you do, BakaYasha?"

"Nothing, ya runt. Can't I just be nice?" InuYasha grumbled from in front of the fire pit.

He hadn't expected the kitsune to be here when he got back. It was embarrassing enough to be fussed at for not bathing, though Kagome was much gentler about it after she saw what he'd brought her, but Shippo, being a fox demon, would definitely pick up on the irony surrounding the gift.

Shippo stood there blinking at him for a moment, before bursting out in gut splitting laughter and rolling on the floor. InuYasha growled in frustration.

"It must…have been…really bad!" Shippo forced out through chortles.

Even Kagome hid her face behind her hand and snickered, though InuYasha knew she was just laughing at the situation not him. It still didn't make him feel any better about it.

"Feh, whatever." He rose from his seat and stomped outside.

Shippo's laughter died down and he got up wiping the tears from his eyes. He shouldn't have teased InuYasha like that in front of Kagome, but he just couldn't help himself. A dog bringing home a cat for the woman he loved. It was so...InuYasha.

"Sorry, Kagome." He perched on her shoulder just like he used to and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"It's okay, Shippo, but you know InuYasha can be sweet when he chooses to. Just go easy on him." She admonished with a gentle smile hugging him back.

Shippo felt his heart sore. He'd missed her so much. He'd gotten into so much mischief while she was away, but the only thing that kept him grounded was her soft voice in his head. He excelled in all his training just for her. He was still a kid, but he could protect her now.

"You hungry, Shippo?" He thought she'd never ask. He missed her cooking, too.

"Absolutely. Do you have any ninja food?" He asked excitedly and Kagome sighed.

"No. I didn't pack anything, but a few pictures and some personal keepsakes before I jumped through the well. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Pictures are more important anyway." Kagome smiled.

"I do have some left over stew." She said standing to get a bowl from the shelf.

Her new furry friend jumped down lazily and sauntered across the room completely ignoring them. Shippo watched the cat curiously. It smelled funny and not the way most cats do.

"Not very friendly, is it?"

"She just needs some time to adjust. Besides, cats are very independent creatures." She explained setting the pot over the fire to warm up.

"What are you going to name her?"

"Hmm, I hadn't quite figured that out yet. I just got her and I kinda want her name to reflect her personality. I guess it just hasn't hit me yet."

Shippo tapped his chin in contemplation.

"What about Shika?"

Kagome considered it for a moment, her brow furrowing while she looked at the lounging feline. She nodded and patted Shippo's head.

"It's perfect. Shika it is."

The stew started bubbling signaling its readiness to be served. Kagome busied herself making a few bowls for everyone including Shika while Shippo walked over to the new pet to bestow some affection. He sat down beside her and began to stroke her back. She didn't seem to object, but she wasn't reveling in it either like most pets would. Leave it to InuYasha to find a strange animal.

"Here you go, Shippo. Be careful. It's a little hot." Kagome said handing him a bowl filled with stew and another with rice.

Shippo took them from her with a happy smile. She bent and patted Shika on the head gaining the same reaction from the cat that Shippo had gotten, complete indifference, but Kagome didn't seem to notice.

"You hungry, girl?" Kagome asked setting a small bowl in front of the cat.

Shika stood and walked over to the proffered nourishment. She took a tentative sniff of the contents. Kagome could have sworn she heard the cat snort before raising its nose in the air and haughtily walking out the door of the hut. She looked over to Shippo who sat with a hunk of rice pinched between his chopsticks staring at the retreating feline with wide eyes. After a moment he turned to look at her.

"Maybe we should have named her Sesshomaru-sama instead?"

"InuYasha would just love that." She giggled.

"Love what?" InuYasha asked pushing the door covering to the side.

He settled himself beside Kagome and she handed him a couple of bowls.

"Oh, nothing." She said trying to keep her amusement under control.

"Yeah, I bet." He said digging into his own food.

"How long are you staying, Shippo?" Kagome asked.

Shippo's face turned serious and he set his bowl down.

"I was thinking about staying permanently." He said.

"Shippo, I thought you liked your training." Kagome asked.

"I do, but the only reason I went through with it was because you weren't here, Kagome. Now that you're back, I want to stay…I missed you." He explained wiping away salty tears.

"Oh, Shippo." Kagome reached over and gathered him into her arms.

He had grown since the last time she saw him, but not overly much. She stroked his hair while he tried his best to regain control over himself and before she knew it, he was fast asleep. She stood and laid him down on her pallet while he curled into a ball and softly snored.

"He took it pretty hard when you left. Shippo looks at you like a mother, ya know." InuYasha said from behind her.

His words struck a chord in her and she turned, flinging herself into his chest.

"I love him, too. I love all of you." She whispered into the soft fire rat robe.

InuYasha felt his face flame, but he couldn't deny how right it felt to have Kagome say those words to him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his nose in her hair. He couldn't wait to tell her how he really felt.

Noriko watched from the shadows just outside the hut. She had been halfway across the yard when she heard Sesshomaru's name mentioned. She doubled back, but nothing further was said on the matter.

She had cursed them all. She was allowing herself to be thought of as a pet. It was the perfect way to get the information that she needed, but there was no way she was going to stay around them every waking minute. Her sanity couldn't handle it.

Her breaking point for the night had been when Kagome placed that bowl of common stew in front of her. Cat or no cat, she wouldn't debase herself in such a way.

Noriko sighed and glanced back into the hut to make sure she wasn't missing anything before heading home. She could definitely go for a long bath and a decent meal after the day she'd had. She couldn't believe the mutt had actually chased her. Stupid dog. She decided to return in the morning. Perhaps they would be in a sharing mood then.


	4. Chapter 4

_It was spring and the cherry blossoms were floating on the breeze. This was her favorite place in the fortress and it was where she decided to do her meditations today. The gardens were beautiful and well-kept any time of year, but something about the way the flowers left a soft fragrance in the air reminded her of her childhood, a time when she was just Noriko and not a priestess. Everything had been much simpler then. _

_"Miko." A deep voice interrupted her concentration._

_She abandoned her efforts and stood, bowing low to the Lord of the West._

_"My Lord, how may I assist you this day?" She asked respectfully._

_"It concerns my son. Have you seen him?" Lord Masahiro asked._

_"Not today, my Lord, but I would be happy to look for him." She offered kindly knowing just where he'd snuck off to._

_"That would be sufficient. Tell him his father wishes to speak with him on an important matter." _

_She watched as the Taiyoukai left. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. InuTaishio looked so much like his father. The long silver hair, the golden eyes, and the markings were all the same, but InuTaishio's features were softer, his nose regal. She suspected that came from his mother, though she had never seen the female except in portraits around the fortress. _

_The servants said she died when InuTaishio was just a pup, but they wouldn't elaborate beyond that. Maybe that was one of the reason's the Western Prince looked so sad most of the time. She knew the heartbreak of losing loved ones and it was a pain you never fully recovered from._

_It didn't take her long to make the journey to their spot near the river. He was throwing rocks into the water, sitting on the fallen log that had borne witness to many deep conversations. He turned to her and smiled making her stomach flutter nervously. She ducked her head and bowed trying to conceal the heat on her cheeks._

_"Do not do that here, Noriko. Here, we are equals." InuTaishio said lifting her gaze to match his with a finger under her chin._

_She lost herself for a moment in those fathomless depths, but when his hand fell away, the spell was broken. She had a purpose and composed herself quickly._

_"Forgive me, InuTaishio, but your father wishes to speak with you on an important matter." She said quietly, not really wanting to leave the sanctity of this place or him._

_"Does he now? When is it not an important matter?" He replied with a cynical smile._

_Noriko didn't know what to say. The political goings on were rarely her concern except when the human civilization was involved. She hated seeing the forlorn look on her Master's face and it made her long to erase his shadowed thoughts. If only she knew how. _

_"I suppose we must return." He said offering his arm._

_She took it gladly and allowed him to lead her back to the fortress. He was walking slower than he normally did. At first, she thought it was out of consideration for her being in geta in the middle of the forest, but when his hand came to cover hers, she began to get a different impression. She reveled in the warmth of that simple gesture and contemplated what he truly meant to her. Was he just a treasure friend or was there something else there?_

_ She remained in the gardens during the meeting. Her mind drifting from the kiss he placed on her hand many weeks ago to the affectionate way he touched her hand today. She tried not to think about it in any way other than a friendly gesture. He was the heir to his father's lands and she just a common Miko. _

_She dared not hope for something more than what they had lest it break the spell. They had become close, descriptions of the Western lands turned into discussions of hopes and dreams. She sated his curiosity and he cured her loneliness. They had a lot in common and their little rendezvous left her feeling fulfilled, but now she was confused._

_"Noriko." _

_Her thoughts were interrupted for the second time that day, but instead of turning to face her Lord, she bowed low to his son. He seemed angry, but this was not the place to question him on such things._

_"Master InuTaishio." She greeted neutrally surprising herself considering the heavy fluctuations of reiki trying to react to the powerful Prince's youki._

_"I have been instructed to investigate a local youkai attack in a nearby human settlement. It would please me if you escorted me on this matter." He responded his words clipped._

_"Of course." She said slightly hurt by his tone and surprised at herself for taking it so personally._

_He held out his arm and she stepped into the embrace trying desperately to keep a tight rein on her powers. Moments later she was soaring through the air on his cloud, clutching his armor for dear life and watching the landscape fly by. Everything looked as tiny as ants. His arm tightened around her waist as he drew her further into his chest and he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear causing that fluttering feeling again._

_"Do not be frightened, my little priestess. I will not let harm come to you." He told her while trailing a finger down her cheek._

_She smiled up at him and felt the tension melt away as if this was perfectly natural, like she belonged here amongst the clouds being held so closely by this beautiful male. Could it be that she had already fallen in love with him? InuTaishio returned her smile, his eyes fixed on hers. She felt her cheeks flame, but when she tried to hide her face, he stopped her._

_His thumb traced patterns on her cheek, admiring the coloring. His eyes lowered to her lips and his head descended…_

Noriko started awake. It took a moment to get her bearings. A very loud and equally obnoxious snore jolted her memory. She had fallen asleep in the Miko's hut and was now surrounded by her slumbering companions with Kagome nowhere in sight. She'd been here two weeks and had discovered many secrets. Like the fact that InuYasha turned human on the nights without a moon and that the pathetic mutt was hopelessly in love with Kagome, if you could call that a secret. She also discovered that the peculiar Miko did not belong in this time which was interesting to say the least.

She hadn't come any closer to discovering InuYasha's parentage, but knew his mother had been human. If Noriko was to be honest with herself, this entire process was getting far too taxing. She usually travelled home in the middle of the night and would return every morning shadowing InuYasha or Kagome's footsteps, hoping to overhear something valuable, but thus far nothing.

It wasn't all bad, though. The group had proved to be most entertaining. InuYasha would say or do something inanely stupid and Kagome would say the word that sent him crashing face first into the ground. Noriko had gained a little respect for the young woman at that. Most Miko's her age would have never thought to use subjugation beads on a demon, but this Miko was anything but ordinary.

Noriko had learned quite a bit about Kagome. She knew her father had been shot and killed when she was young. She also knew they lived on a shrine that sat in the same area as the Bone Eater's well just 500 years in the future. She knew that Kagome had given up her life with her mother, brother, and grandfather to be with her friends in the past and discovered the girl to be very intelligent.

When the subject of Kagome's time travel first came up in her presence, she thought them all to be insane, but there were things that could not be explained any other way. Like the Miko's original clothing and the books she had or the glossy portraits of her family that showed no brush strokes. She had lights that had no flame and Noriko hadn't sensed any magic in use. Perhaps this was why Kagome was so strong spiritually.

Noriko was having a difficult time not liking Kagome. She was just that kind of person regardless the company she chose to keep. She detested being treated like an animal, but she had chosen this form to acquire the information she needed and thus had to bear it. At least Kagome treated her with respect, almost as if she knew there was an actual person hidden under all that fur.

Shippo wasn't so bad except when he was trying to carry her around. She wasn't just any feline, but they didn't know that. She swatted him once and gotten scolded like a common cur, but the kit learned his lesson. Noriko had walked away from that altercation with a smug grin if only in her mind. She actually laughed about it later when she was alone in the safety of her hut hidden amongst the crops of shedding trees. The kit's face had been priceless.

InuYasha, however, was a constant nuisance. He would pull her tail or pick her up by her hind legs and dangle her in the air. He would get a good sitting because of his mistreatment and for that, Noriko was grateful. She still stacked the constant torment into a pile of punishable actions should her suspicions prove true. Oh, he would pay dearly.

Noriko stretched and padded out the door looking for Kagome. She couldn't believe she was even thinking this, but it was very unlike her to be out by herself so late. It was obvious that the dense hanyou hadn't noticed her missing. It was a wonder she had lived through the task of gathering the Sacred Jewel shards under his inadequate protection. Just another reason why she chose the form of a cat opposed to that of a canine.

Noriko found the young Miko sitting near the river, her knees drawn to her chest and her eyes fixated on the moon. She sat down beside the distracted girl and mewed to announce her presence. Kagome looked down and smiled petting her in greeting, but Noriko could see the turbulence behind her blue eyes.

"Hey, Shika. No field mice willing to play tonight?" Naturally, Noriko didn't answer.

Kagome sighed and looked back up to the sky.

"I thought I'd find peace being here, but…Don't get me wrong. I know I made the right choice. I just can't find the right fit for me. Kaede's been great with helping me master my spiritual powers and I like helping people. I just don't think the regular path of a priestess is for me and InuYasha…for so long I thought I was supposed to be with him. Now, when he holds me, it doesn't feel the same."

Kagome sighed again. Noriko felt kind of sorry for the girl, but there was nothing she could do. Her own life had been a massacre of mistakes and she was left betrayed by the one she loved. All she had left was the need for vengeance and since InuTaishio was dead, his sons would have to suffice. After her task was complete, she would diminish from this world. That wasn't exactly the kind of lesson she'd wish to instill in the melancholy girl even if she were able to speak her thoughts.

"Oh well. I'll figure it out in time."

Kagome stood and brushed her hakama off.

"You coming back inside?" She asked with a sweet smile.

Noriko looked away, her mind filled with thoughts of the past. It was difficult not to see a younger version of herself in the innocent girl. A younger version that had had her soul snuffed out slowly and before she knew what was happening, she was left bereft, a hollow shell of her former self.

"Suit yourself. Goodnight, Shika." Kagome called over her shoulder.

Noriko remembered a time, sitting alone like Kagome had, looking at the same moon contemplating her own life. She had the same dreams that all young, naïve women do and had thought of her future with a great and powerful dog demon. Things had been wonderful then or so she thought.

_His face moved closer and her heart skipped a beat. Lips were on hers. His lips. Soft, warm, moving._

Noriko stood suddenly and took off as fast as she could towards her hut, trying futilely to outrun her unwanted recollections.

_"So beautiful, my Noriko." His voice deep, vibrating through every fiber of her being._

No! She would not listen. She pushed her legs to run faster.

_He took her with a gentleness belaying his awesome power. His skin was hot under her finger tips, his hands scorching her everywhere they touched. She had never felt so loved, so wanted._

Noriko growled in frustration. The trees she passed were nothing but a blur now and yet the memories still flowed.

_"InuTaishio, what we have done…"_

_"Hush, my sweetling. I regret nothing."_

_His arms, so strong, cradling her body close to his. His breaths deep and even wafting across her sweat slicked skin sending shivers down her spine and chasing away all her fears._

Lies! It was all a lie! A hopeless dream, nothing more!

Noriko transformed midrun, screaming her agony to the heavens.

"Curse you, InuTaishio! Even in death you haunt me still! Were your poisonous words not enough?! Did you have to plant the seeds of hope within my soul as well?! Vile betrayer! I swear you will feel my wrath in the next world!"

She fell to her hands and knees, tears streaming down her face. Her anger was exhausting and useless, but these visions from the past, they made her feel overwhelmed and out of control. She had been such a fool to trust in that dog.

Noriko gritted her teeth against her emotions and stood on shaking legs. She had overexerted herself physically, but it was nothing a few days of rest couldn't cure. She trudged up the hill to the gates of her lands. She needed a reprieve from being a common housecat anyway.

Noriko wasn't aware of the dawn, her slumber being so deep, but Kagome was. She was also acutely aware of her beloved pet's absence. She spent most of the morning searching for the cat, but turned up nothing.

After a silent lunch, InuYasha took it upon himself to end Kagome's moping in his signature way.

"Oi, Kagome, stop pouting. It's just a cat!"

"Shika could be hurt or something." Kagome responded, irritated by his crass mannerism.

"Hey, Kagome, maybe Kirara could help. She's a cat. She probably knows all the places to look." Shippo piped up helpfully.

"Hmm, I guess you could be right. There's only one way to find out."

Kagome followed after Shippo to find their fire neko friend.

InuYasha watched them go shaking his head. "All this for a stupid pet."

"Sit, boy!"

InuYasha plummeted to the ground groaning.

"Kagome, why?"

By the time the spell on the beads wore off and InuYasha pulled himself up from the dirt, Kagome was already racing away on Kirara.

"Lady Kaede!"

The little girl jumped from the double headed dragon's back and ran to the elderly Miko, throwing her arms around her legs. Kaede bent down to return the hug.

"Rin, how do ye fair, child?" Kaede asked with a chuckle.

"I'm fine. How are you? I'm so glad to be back. How's Sango and the kids? Is Shippo around?" Rin asked excitedly bouncing on her heels.

Kaede took a calming breath before answering the animated girl.

"One question at a time, child. Everyone is well. Shippo is off with Kagome…"

"Kagome's back?! Did you hear that, Lord Sesshomaru? Kagome's back." She exclaimed over her shoulder to the approaching Taiyoukai.

Sesshomaru walked up behind Rin who was looking over her shoulder with a huge grin on her face and patted her head in acknowledgment. Jaken came rushing up to the girl, sweat rolling off him in waves dragging a bundle behind him.

"Rin, you silly, girl! How many times do I have to tell you that Lord Sesshomaru doesn't care about InuYasha or his stupid companions?" Jaken squawked between pants.

"Oh, Master Jaken. When did you get here?" Rin asked relieving the exhausted kappa of the package.

"Rin, take your belongings inside." Sesshomaru commanded.

"Yes, my Lord." Rin answered enthusiastically.

The aura around the village was different since his last visit. It was if a very old evil had settled nearby, something powerful, but yet still unidentifiable.

"Miko, have you not felt the change?" Sesshomaru asked in his nonchalant fashion.

"Yes, I have, but this forest is very old. It is not unlikely to have something dwell within. If ye are concerned for Rin's safety, it is unnecessary. InuYasha protects this village and now that Kagome is back, she will be able to purify any demon." Kaede explained.

Sesshomaru regarded the old woman for a moment. How is it that she could not sense the fluctuations in this energy? Whatever was out there was no demon. Still, he could not deny Rin this opportunity. His ward wanted to see her friends and learn from them. It made her happy and he would deny her nothing.

"Hn." Was all he said before walking away.

"Milord, where are you going?" Jaken asked, but as usual, Sesshomaru didn't answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Sesshomaru followed the ominous aura past the well near the Goshinboku and deep within the forest. There was a well beaten path that led to the river and the dark energy flowed freely here, almost chokingly so. He stopped and thought back to the old Miko's explanation. No, there was no lie in the woman. She simply did not know.

He continued up the path, his youki reacting violently as he neared a gate surrounding a small piece of land. He could see the thatched roof of a hut just inside and smoke barreling from the roof. Someone was home. He took a tentative sniff of the air and his eyes flew wide. It was human.

"My, my, so many visitors I have these days." A sultry voice said from the within shadows of the gate.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed on the woman's position. How was it that he hadn't sensed her presence? This was an unnatural thing, something not to be taken lightly.

He watched her carefully as she approached. She was tall, wearing a simple kimono and no sandals. Her hair was knotted on top of her head and held there by a pair of chopsticks. All in all she looked completely unremarkable, just your average human woman, but the energy surrounding her said she was anything but. She locked emerald eyes on his and he saw anger swirl in them before the emotion receded.

"The ruler of the West? Well now, what would a great Taiyoukai be doing on my lands?" She asked contemplatively.

"Explain your existence to this Sesshomaru." He commanded, not liking the disadvantage he clearly had against this possible threat.

"Tsk, tsk, Lord Sesshomaru. That would be telling." She admonished and he felt his ire rise.

How dare she talk to him like that?! If she knew who he was, then she knew what he was capable of. He remained patient, however. He disliked engaging an enemy without proper knowledge of it first.

"Let me guess, you felt my aura and decided to investigate. Such a shame, really, I had been doing so well." The last sentence she said more to herself then him.

So, she had purposely been trying to hide her existence. There was an ulterior motive for her being this close to the village, this close to Rin. He had to put a conscious effort towards not baring his fangs at the thought.

"You have a purpose here, this One would know it." He stated and she outright laughed.

"This is my land, you silly dog, and I have a right to live as I please." She answered.

He clamped his throat around the snarl threatening to rise from it. Once he got his answers, she would be disciplined accordingly for her disrespect.

"The others in the village know you are here." He fished stamping down his anger for the moment.

She laughed again, a sound that grated on his quickly fraying nerves.

"Yes, they do and have done nothing. I am no threat to the village. They are not my concern." She explained truthfully.

His eyes narrowed. He sensed no lie from her, but it was not to be trusted. These lands had been bewitched somehow and his senses were not working as they should.

"You have a purpose here." It was not a question.

"Don't we all?" She answered anyway with a sly smile.

They stood in silence for a moment. She tapped her finger to her painted lips as she thought and Sesshomaru regarded her with caution.

This woman was very powerful, but he could not pinpoint the source. It was as if the energy flowed from every recess of this secluded area, but she remained clouded as if she were not really standing before him. All he could smell was the scent of her mortality, the only inclination that she was not some kind of phantom.

It was frustrating. No mortal should be able to hold this kind of power. What exacerbated the issue was the feeling that he should know this woman. Something about her was familiar, but he would have remembered someone with her aura human or no.

"Forgive my rudeness, My Lord. It seems that being distant from the world of man has made me forget my manners. Would you like to come in? I will gladly offer you a cup of tea and answer your questions within reason, of course." She offered sweetly.

Now she was more dangerous than she had been before. His wealth of knowledge told him so, but he could not sense any ill will directed towards him.

"Your name first." He said smoothly, having no intentions of actually taking her up on the offer.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

No longer was her voice kind. It had taken on a hard edge and he finally sensed the danger. His eyes widened as a blast of purplish, black energy flew at him obscuring his view of the gated property and the strange woman. It reeked of holy power. She was a Miko!

He narrowly escaped the blast and landed a few yards away out of the energy's trail. Once the reiki infused air calmed and the tingling on his skin disappeared, he headed back towards the hut, Bakusaiga drawn. She was not there.

Sesshomaru stormed through the gates and searched the small courtyard. Nothing. He briskly entered the hut, using his baser senses, knowing his youki would do him no good here, but still nothing. She had fled and to where he did not know. The power that had permeated this area was receding quickly.

He growled in irritation summoning his cloud and barreled back towards the village. The idiot hanyou might know who this dark Miko was and if not the lecherous houshi would. Besides, he needed to check on Rin. A deep sense of foreboding stuck in his gut like a heavy stone.

Noriko hid in the bushes outside of the hut in her cat form, all her energy focused on her barrier to keep herself hidden. The air escaped her lungs in a rush when she watched the incensed demon Lord fly off towards the village. She hadn't expected to see him here. This was a human village. He hated humans. She huffed in frustration.

Needless to say, she had been confused and angered by his presence. He certainly did look every ounce like his father, minus the markings. Those were his mother's, which made him an even more detestable sight to behold. She needed information, so she stuffed her misgivings down.

Everything had been going well until he asked her name. Foolish mutt. If he knew her name, he would surely guess her intentions and all would be lost. She couldn't allow that. Her attack had been a diversion for her escape only. Never would she have engaged in combat with him. His youki was even stronger than his father's and she still had work to accomplish before she died.

She padded out onto the path and took a long glance at her hut. She wouldn't be able to return here. It was her own stupidity that caused this chance meeting. She had been so exhausted by her rage that she had let her control slip. No doubt he felt it and came to investigate. She sighed and began walking towards the village with a feral smile curling her lips.

This could work to her advantage, but it would take careful planning. Maybe the Taiyoukai did have a connection to the hanyou after all. They did favor, but only slightly. She'd have to be mindful of her every move from here on out. If Sesshomaru was lurking about the village then the old Miko was the least of her worries. She needed to get the ball rolling and quickly. Time for her had run out.

"Shika! Here kitty, kitty!" A voice called through the trees.

Well, this was most fortuitous indeed. Kagome's powers were strong enough to possibly obscure her aura while in this lesser form. Her barrier was strong, but it was not infallible. This could be just what she needed, though she'd have to stick with the young woman like glue in order for it to work.

Noriko picked up her pace following her senses to Kagome who was stationary for the moment. She had been accompanied by the fire neko and the kit. Noriko rolled her eyes, but mewed anyway. It was the best way to gain attention as degrading as it was. The demons would hear her and get Kagome to investigate.

"Wait, Kagome. I heard something. You too, Kirara? Over here."

Noriko sat down on her haunches and smiled ferally. Worked like a charm. She heard the group crunching through the underbrush before the trio came into view. This was her cue.

She mewed again when Kagome stepped on the path and trotted to her in what, she hoped, was taken as a happy greeting. Kagome knelt in the dirt and held out her arms. Noriko jumped into them and allowed the girl to bestow her affections. She even purred for added effect.

"What are you doing way out here, hmmm?" Kagome asked while scratching behind her ear and shivered, her head snapping up.

"This aura…it's so strong." She continued absently her grip lessening.

Noriko felt her heartbeat quicken when Kagome began taking steps towards her hut, but thankfully Kirara came to the rescue. The twin tail grabbed one of Kagome's sleeves in its mouth and tugged with a pleading look on its face.

"Alright, we'll go back." Kagome said petting the huge cat's head.

She climbed on Kirara's back and clutched Noriko tightly to her chest. Shippo perched in front of her holding onto the twin tail's fur.

"Don't be frightened, Shika. We'll be home before you know it." Kagome cooed.

Noriko had a sudden sense of déjà vu when they lifted into the sky and her stomach flipped. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Kagome's haori trying desperately to find some relief. Kami, she hated flying.

"So, she attacked you?" Miroku asked rubbing his chin. "How odd. When we encountered her, she didn't seem violent."

"Explain, monk." Sesshomaru demanded and InuYasha snorted.

"We ain't got to explain shit. I don't blame her for taking a swipe at you." The hanyou said from his seat next to the houshi.

Sesshomaru's hands clenched into fists under the covering of his sleeves. He was in no mood for the half-breed's lip today.

"InuYasha, Kagome would be very unhappy to hear you talk to your brother that way." Miroku chastised.

"Half-brother." They said in unison and they both scowled at one another until Miroku sighed.

"Yes, yes. My apologies to you both."

Miroku stood from his seat and walked past the Taiyoukai to the door of his hut. He pulled the covering back, searching the perimeter, and nodded when he seemed satisfied that no one was eaves dropping. When he turned back around, the intensity on the houshi's face caught Sesshomaru's full attention. He knew something.

"Lord Sesshomaru, her name is Noriko, or Lady Noriko, considering that she is a priestess. However, I believe she may have ties to the West."

Sesshomaru had heard this name before. The fact that she was a priestess was no surprise. He'd witnessed that first hand. He conjured the woman's image in his mind. The familiarity was there in all its undeniable glory. What ties did she have to his domain? Who was she?

"The thing is, she's not supposed to even be alive. I've heard stories about a Lady Noriko that used to serve your grandfather. It was said that she died shortly after your father became the Western Lord." Miroku explained.

Yet more riddles. Sesshomaru wanted to sigh, but held it in. He would not show such things in front of his present company.

"So, it can't be the same one. She's human." InuYasha exclaimed as if that was the end of the matter, case closed.

Miroku shook his head in the negative.

"I'm not so sure. The power she exuded to banish my sutras was very abnormal for an ordinary priestess, even for one with less than pure intentions. She would have to have centuries to build up that kind of reiki and to contain it would take centuries longer to master."

Sesshomaru stood inside the human dwelling and listened with rapt attention. There were many mysteries in this world and just as many ways to prolong one's life, but the cost was usually too high to ignore. The houshi knew more than what he was saying, but his explanations were enough. He had what he needed. Sesshomaru left the hut and located Jaken standing guard outside the old Miko's home.

"Jaken, take Ah-Un and go to the West. This Sesshomaru requires information on a Miko that served my grandfather. Be quick or you will not enjoy the consequences."

"Y-yes, milord. Right away." Jaken replied nervously bowing until he was prostrate on the ground.

Sesshomaru flared his senses and discovered that the ominous aura had receded completely. She had left the area, but he doubted she'd gone far. Regardless what she said, she wanted something or someone in this village. He walked towards the Bone Eater's well and decided to keep a vigil over his ward from the forest that shared his little brother's name.

He settled himself against the Goshinboku and opened his mind allowing memories from his youth to filter through. Ah yes, he remembered now. It was a story he had been taught as part of the histories of the West, but he had not paid close attention. It was about a human after all and Noriko had not been present in his life at the time, so he had dismissed it as unnecessary information.

He had already made the absolute decision that he would not fall from the same weaknesses of his father and grandfather before him. Their downfalls had been directly related to humans. He would not be that foolhardy.

The tale was that an ordinary Miko named Lady Noriko approached his grandfather, the then Western Lord. She presented her beliefs to the court stating that mortals and youkai should work together. She was laughed at and mocked by Lord Masahiro's advisors, but he silenced them quickly. He saw an opportunity to gain even further influence around his borders making the West more powerful than it had ever been and accepted her sworn oath to serve him.

Throughout the years, she travelled around the human villages and settlements expressing her Lord's wishes and negotiated treaties of peace between the two parties. The West flourished with her aid and became the envy of the other lands. The Northern Lord attacked Lord Masahiro wounding him mortally.

A great war ensued after Lord InuTaishio took his father's place. It lasted many years, but ended in victory for the Western Lands. The treaties that had begun to spring forth under the former Lord's rule diminished and waned from the turmoil. The West suffered greatly for it, but recovered due to the honorable rulings of the Great Dog General and his mate.

Nothing further was said about the priestess as far as Sesshomaru could remember. He supposed that she may have stayed on and served his father in a small way, but considering his mother's vehement hatred for mortals, he doubted it. Perhaps she died during the war and had given herself over to demons to extend her life or for the simplistic reason of power. Either way she was here now and had foolishly attacked him.

It was obvious that she hadn't wanted him to know who she was, but even with her name and the histories involving her, her behavior made little sense. What was she up to? Was it vengeance she was after? No, surely not. His grandfather and father were long gone from this world and he had never encountered her before this day. Maybe InuYasha had angered her in some way.

Once again it didn't add up. She would have attacked him when she had the opportunity. At any rate, she was here for a reason and he was certain all would be revealed if he waited long enough which suited him just fine. He hadn't had a purpose to travel outside of his lands, other than Rin's visits to Edo, since is search for Naraku. He could do with a change of scenery.

Jaken would be back soon with the information he requested, though that would probably be a fruitless venture, and Rin was nearby. She would need a constant vigil to make sure she was kept out of harm's way. Sesshomaru was not going to expose his young ward to any unnecessary upheaval in her precious life. She had been through enough and he would kill anyone who tried anything remotely suspicious.

Sesshomaru felt the sting in his palm where his claws had lacerated the flesh. He relaxed himself and licked the blood away watching the skin mend itself back together. It was amazing how that small child had woven herself into every part of his life. She was one of a kind and he would defend her 'til the end. She alone was deserving of his efforts and he would give her anything just as long as she remained smiling and happy.

Rin was not a weakness. She was a strength. She had taught him more than he ever thought possible from just her personality. Those who had tried to exploit their relationship had paid dearly and even though he had moved heaven and earth to save her from the clutches of those simpletons, he would have lopped off their heads eventually anyway. As far as he was concerned, his life had remained just as it had been, but he walked this earth with a higher sense of enlightenment because he had saved her that day.


	6. Chapter 6

_"What are you saying, InuTaishio?" Noriko asked feeling her chest constrict painfully._

_"It is not my wish to mate this female, but it has been prearranged. I cannot turn my back on my duty to the Western Lands." He explained while she watched his long tresses along with his pelt billow in the wind._

_She felt the sting of tears threaten to fall, but she held them back. She would not break before him._

_"Prearranged? For how long?" She was able to keep the trembling out of her voice, but only barely._

_He turned to look at her then, in all his immaculate glory, the moonlight washing over his lovely features making him seem so cold. He looked every bit the Prince and heir that he was. She felt so small and insignificant in comparison._

_"Since the beginning." His voice had gone neutral, not even a hint of pain marred his tone or any emotion for that matter. _

_That was the worst part, the indifference. Had she been nothing more than a conquest or worse, a meaningless distraction? She felt her insides crumbling and it took all the restraint she had to keep it from showing outwardly._

_"I should return to the fortress, Master InuTaishio." She managed, using his honorific, and bowed low to hide the cracks she could feel splitting her facade._

_"Noriko, I…"_

_She turned away from him, not able to endure another word._

_"Princess Avaka will be accompanying her father to dinner this evening. I expect you will act accordingly." He amended as if he was addressing any other member of the court instead of her._

_"As you wish, Master." She responded in kind, but inside she was dying._

_There was a surge of youki and a fluttering of the wind at her back indicating his departure. Her knees gave way and she fell, a great wail tearing through her throat. She had allowed herself to get carried away knowing better. She had been a fool to believe that there would be a future for the two of them. They were from two different worlds. He a demon and she a mortal priestess. They were natural born enemies. It was but a dream. The realization did nothing to lessen the pain._

_He spoke of duty. Even after all they had shared and all she had just lost, she still had her own duty to fulfill. She had pledged her loyalties to the Western Lord, to InuTaishio's, no, Master InuTaishio's father. Lord Masahiro knew nothing of their former relationship and she intended to keep it that way. Her presence in the Western Lands held a higher purpose than petty squabbles or matters of the heart and it was possible she would be sent away. She wasn't ready for that. _

_After all that had just happened, she couldn't bring herself to leave her Master's side. Love was a strong and compelling emotion, one she had never expected to experience. It had been so easy to fall in love with him. She just never thought it to end or for it to hurt so badly. _

_Noriko sniffled and wiped her face with her sleeve. It took more energy then she thought to stand, but she did. There was no more time for mourning. She had a dinner to prepare for and those juni-hitoes were a pain to get on what with all the layers even with a servant's help. Lord Masahiro would be most displeased if she missed it._

Another dream. Damn Sesshomaru for causing this. He was still around, lurking just beyond the trees. Noriko could feel him, but he had not yet found her. It had been a week and a half since his unexpected visit and his presence had caused her much torment. He was waiting for her to show herself. Fat chance.

"Good morning, Shika. Did you sleep well?" Kagome asked yawning and giving her head a light pat.

Noriko played her part well. She purred and rose to meet Kagome's hand. Blending in had taken more effort this time around and she was always on call to act appreciative to her so called mistress to keep from arousing further suspicions.

"Well, time to get started on our day." She said rising to her feet.

"What are you jabbering about over there?" InuYasha asked stretching his arms over his head.

"Morning, InuYasha. You hungry? Shika and I were going to get started on breakfast." Kagome answered with a smile.

InuYasha stood, pushing his sword into his belt and walked up to the young Miko. He nuzzled the top of her head and sifted her hair through his fingers, something Noriko had never seen him do. She could tell that the attention made Kagome uncomfortable, but he didn't even notice. The dummy.

"I'll go get some eggs, Kagome. Need anything else?" He asked softly, his hand lingering on her shoulder.

"Maybe some water. Thanks, InuYasha." She said not meeting his gaze.

Noriko scoffed at the display. Of course the dense half-breed wouldn't get it. Kagome was too smart to fall for the likes of him. He should feel lucky to have her friendship. Demons and humans were never meant to mix. Even if that were not a factor, Kagome was further up the scale in terms of maturity on her worst day than he could ever possibly achieve in his entire lifetime.

InuYasha waited for a moment before walking out the door to set about accomplishing his self-appointed tasks. Kagome stood stock still for a moment staring at the floor. To Noriko, she looked pitifully lost. It caused an odd stirring from deep within her, the desire to comfort another. She hadn't had the urge to do such a thing in so long that it felt surreal and she almost didn't know what to do, but Kagome had saved her in the forest that day, granting her the time she needed to accomplish her goals.

Noriko, once again reminding herself she was a cat, began to rub herself along Kagome's legs, effectively distracting her from her sad thoughts. The young woman bent and petted her affectionately while she purred with as much liveliness as her feline form allowed.

"Looks like Shippo's already at Kaede's. We've got the house to ourselves, girl." Kagome said with mock happiness clearly trying to brush off her melancholy, but Noriko could see right through her front.

Noriko had to remind herself that a cat shaking its head would seem very odd and thus restrained herself. Instead, she padded around the house behind Kagome while the woman cleaned her humble dwelling. There wasn't much to be done. Noriko wasn't surprised. Kagome's cleanliness was an endearing quality. The girl bathed daily and was constantly picking up after the males she lived with. Her efforts kept the small hut as comfortable as possible all things considered.

During the making of InuYasha's bedding, Kagome discovered that the bottoms of the covers were caked with dirt. The young Miko stripped the futon, mumbling threats under her breath and once she exited the hut with the soiled linens, Noriko snickered wickedly. There was going to be a hell of a show when InuYasha returned and she couldn't wait.

InuYasha walked towards Kaede's with his coin pouch in his hand. He knew she would give him the eggs, but it just wasn't right. He had his own coin to pay for things now and it showed Kagome he could be trusted to provide for her. That's what he wanted, to provide for her and eventually, for their family.

He had always loved her, but it had taken her absence to make him realize just how much. She looked at him and saw something worth her time, not a half-demon or half-human, just InuYasha. He felt like he could take on the world with her by his side, like he was invincible.

Living with her had been trying at first, but in his defense, he'd never lived with anyone before, never had a place to call his own. She handled him in her usual way and he lashed out in his, but it was the way they always reacted to one another when they didn't see eye to eye.

After the adjustment period was over, things settled into a nice routine, even that cat was involved in their day to day life. InuYasha still didn't like the feline, but it did give him a sense of pride and accomplishment when he saw the fur ball trotting alongside Kagome. She loved that cat. It was proof positive that he could be thoughtful and make her happy.

InuYasha pushed his hands into his sleeves and fingered the small bundle attached to the inside of the red fabric. He smiled to himself. Kagome had no idea what he was planning, but he was certain she wouldn't reject him. He wasn't able to accept any other possibility.

He'd caused her so much pain with Kikyou and hadn't meant to, but they had come so far since those days. He always returned for her and she remained by his side. She had become something he couldn't live without and now that she was back to stay, he refused to even try.

He had talked to Kagome's mother before the final battle with Naraku and the elder Higarashi had explained human courting customs, something InuYasha was completely in the dark about. It wasn't a subject he felt comfortable talking about with Miroku at the time considering the letch's tendencies.

So, he went to the only other Higarashi that made him feel safe. She had been quite happy to explain it all in great detail and he had planned on going down the list of things she had told him after Naraku's death, but the Shikon no tama had other plans and Kagome was taken from him.

That didn't stop him, though. He would never give up on her. It took him the better part of the four years she was gone to accumulate enough coin to afford the token that would symbolize the final step to the process. It wasn't fancy or encrusted with jewels, but the simple golden band was what he hoped to present Kagome with once he felt she was ready. He'd waited on her this long and he would wait forever if it was for her best interests. Losing a family was hard. Kagome was going through a lot; even if she wasn't showing it. He knew that losing her nearly killed him at first, so he was able to sympathize.

"Hey, InuYasha. Wanna play?" Rin asked breaking his concentration.

"Nah, I ain't got time, squirt. Where's Kaede?" He replied, his hands falling out of his sleeves.

"She's in her garden." Rin said helpfully as Shippo ran up to them with a ball, Yuuta and Emi not far behind.

He ruffled the little girl's hair and made his way to the herb garden Kaede kept behind her hut. It was crazy how much he'd warmed up to Rin. He no longer saw her as Sesshomaru's ward, but as the being she was without the imposing Taiyoukai. She had been a constant reminder of Kagome during her visits to the village while his beloved was gone. They had the same warm and caring heart and mannerisms, though he doubted Rin would ever subjugate a demon out of spite, like Sesshomaru would let her.

InuYasha fingered the lacquered beads around his neck and smirked. This is what had connected them in the beginning and there was a time when he would have gladly been rid of them, but that was before his emotional epiphany. He still hated the dreaded word, but truth be told some of those sittings meant more to him than he could ever say…then there were the ones that were just cruel. His face drooped.

"Why the long face, InuYasha?" Kaede asked and InuYasha crossed his arms in indignation.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Got any eggs?" He responded gruffly hating that he'd been caught pouting.

"I do indeed. This way." Kaede said with the hint of a smile and a wave of her hand.

InuYasha followed the hunched woman inside her hut and waited patiently for her to gather a few eggs from a basket on her supply shelf. Lately, Kaede's scent had changed and he didn't know the cause of it. Even her hut smelled differently. He had thought to ask her about it, but decided against it. Kagome would probably snap his back in half for being inconsiderate.

"There ye go, InuYasha. Was that all or did ye wish to ask this old woman something?" She asked sagely handing him a tied bundle.

InuYasha took the package and shifted it to one hand.

"No, that's it. How much do I owe you?" He responded fingering his coin pouch.

"That is not necessary…"

"Just tell me how much." He said a little more forcefully than he had meant to.

"If ye insist…"

Both individuals stopped. InuYasha dropped the cloth holding the eggs back into Kaede's hands and dashed out through the mat covering the door.

"Hey, you runts get inside!" He yelled to the playing children as he drew Tetsusaiga.

Rin nodded and obediently did as she was told, ushering the little ones to the safety of Kaede's hut. Shippo stood stubbornly by InuYasha's side, his little fists glowing with his fox fire. The clink of metal announced Miroku's presence. Sango had Hirakotsu slung on her back and Kaori in her arms. She rushed to defend the old Miko's hut and the children inside.

"What is it? Do you know?" The monk asked panting lightly.

"Don't know, but it's a lot of them and they're coming in fast." InuYasha answered keeping his eyes trained on the horizon where he sensed the accumulative demonic auras.

"InuYasha!" Kagome yelled running up to them with her bow.

"Kagome! Go back home!" He yelled at her, but she just shook her head.

"Not a chance." InuYasha growled his complaint.

Kagome stood at the ready, an arrow notched in her bow. InuYasha let his eyes linger on her for a moment, the way her jaw was set in stubborn determination and her eyes narrowed towards the horizon. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to her. He gritted his teeth and shook the thought away. He wouldn't lose her. Never again would they be apart.

Noriko stood a few feet behind Kagome. Apparently her little slip up had attracted more than just the Taiyoukai. She let out a very feline snort. There were always lowly demons wishing to possess the power she had. The fools never got far in their attempts, as if they would be able to wield it if they ever got lucky enough to overcome her.

She watched Sesshomaru land in the vacated road next to Kagome and was relieved that he took no notice of her. His presence was highly unexpected, but should prove be quite interesting regardless. Noriko stretched and settled herself into a comfortable position to watch it all play out.

"What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru?! This doesn't concern you!" InuYasha yelled.

"Rin's safety is this Sesshomaru's concern." The demon Lord responded neutrally.

Well, well. It seemed he took after his father in the strangest of ways. Noriko hadn't been expecting that considering Sesshomaru's human hating mother.

"InuYasha, don't start. From the feel of things we might very well need his help." Kagome said irritatedly.

Two silver inu's glared down at the little woman between them. The looks seemed so similar to Noriko. Her tail twitched reflexively. This might be more interesting than she had originally thought.

"Like I'd ever need his help!" InuYasha groused.

"Indeed." Sesshomaru agreed with a sneer.

"Whatever. The sibling rivalry can wait. Here they come!" Kagome said causing everyone to take up their battle stances.

Kagome raised her bow and infused the arrow with her reiki. It blazed a pink streak across the darkening horizon.

Noriko didn't even notice when the group ran into the oncoming fray or the cries of the children from behind her yelling for their father. The sounds of flesh tearing and the clanging of steel was also lost on her ears as she sat dumbly in the middle of the street replaying that final sentence over and over in her head.

Siblings…They were brothers.

Something snapped bringing her back to the present pushing her to get up and get moving. She raced away from the village as fast as she could. Noriko looked back at the small group of warriors and grinned. There was enough opposition to keep them busy for a while. This was her chance to get her revenge and to think, it had been under her nose the entire time.

She tried not to get too far ahead of herself. There was a spell she still needed to mix then she was going to have to face the two estranged brothers and somehow keep the others out of her way all while trying to keep her head on her shoulders. That was going to be the tricky part, but she'd come this far, had subjected herself to the life of a house cat and all the abuse that came with it. She would not fail.

Noriko stumbled over herself during her transformation and nearly fell. It had been too long since she had stretched her human legs, but she didn't have the time to revel in the freeing sensation. She grabbed a basket hanging on the side of her hut and hastily began plucking the herbs she needed. She counted each leaf and sprig meticulously and once she was satisfied, she ran inside her hut to grind them down into the potion she would need to ingest.

She smirked devilishly when the concoction began to smoke in her mortar. Finally, retribution was within her grasp. She truly hoped InuTaishio would feel this in the next world. If not, she'd be sure to tell him all about it in great detail when she met him there.

A/N: I'd like to give a huge Thank You to LoveInTheBattlefield for her reviews and for putting me on her faves list. Thanks for taking your time to do all of that and to keep up with this story.

I'd also like to thank Angel-Rias, Caoslady, LilyLilah, VixenKitsune147, shadowzombie, Insane. o.0, CuteLittleCupcake, & Vicky Cu for following this story and to those who also faved it. All of you guys are awesome!

I want to also want to say that I appreciate everyone who has given this story a shot. I hope every one is enjoying it thus far. I've got more coming soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	7. Chapter 7

**"Kaze no Kizu!"**

The blinding youki wave from Tetsusaiga ripped through the seemingly never ending herd of lower youkai. InuYasha fell back to protect his exhausted friends while Sesshomaru took over. He'd never admit it out load, but Kagome had been right. With Sango and Kirara protecting the villagers, they needed Sesshomaru's assistance. There were just too many opponents to deal with safely.

A flurry of sutras proceeded Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga. InuYasha watched in concealed respect and amazement as Sesshomaru cut through the horde like melted butter. He still thought his brother was a prick, but he did respect his fighting prowess and ability to think beyond his opponent's next move. He had been the one to lure the majority of the attacking youkai away from the perpetual smorgasbord that was Edo.

Somehow they had ended up in the clearing around the well. It seemed that the demons were being drawn to something within the forest, not the village, which was odd, but that didn't mean they would pass up a free meal. As it was at the moment, InuYasha didn't have time to investigate the possible goings on in the village. He'd do that after this was all over and considering Sesshomaru's progress it wouldn't be too much longer. Sango and Kirara would just have to hold their ground until he got there.

Miroku fell back panting, his hands resting on his knees and his staff propped against his shoulder. He saw his friend raise his right hand and could guess where his thoughts had wondered. He was missing his Wind Tunnel. It was a hell of a thing to have during times like these, but having his friend around was more important. InuYasha stepped up and took point. A sacred arrow soared past him and into a crowd of demons that were trying to flank Sesshomaru.

"Move your ass, Sesshomaru!" InuYasha yelled lifting his fang.

**"Kongosoha!"**

Hundreds of adamant spears shot from Tetsusaiga the moment Sesshomaru dropped to the ground. InuYasha took off at a run passing his half-brother along the way. He smirked at the glare he got from the aristocratic dick head.

**"Bakuryuha!"**

**"Bakusaiga!"**

Green youki swirled with gold in perfect harmony lighting up the clearing. InuYasha had to squint against the intensity of the combined powers. There were screams and roars of agony from the offending youkai. When the energy died, there was nothing left but them. The battle was over.

InuYasha sheathed Tetsusaiga and stopped beside Sesshomaru.

"Show off." He grumbled.

Lord Asshole didn't even look at him. Typical.

Kagome came running up to him and he pulled her into his arms thanking the Gods she hadn't been hurt. She pushed away and ducked her head hiding her face in her bangs. He brushed the obstructing curtain aside and caught a glimpse of the fierce blush on his beloved's face. She was absolutely beautiful.

InuYasha's head snapped up and he pushed Kagome behind him. He knew this aura and if Sesshomaru was correct in his suspicions, she was a threat. Could this be the cause of the demons' attack? He didn't know, but her aura had become nearly suffocating. How had he missed it when he first met her?

Noriko walked into the clearing, not even bothering to disguise her presence. Let them both know exactly what they were dealing with. She stopped, leaving a distance between the group and herself. Sesshomaru and the perverted monk stood beside the hanyou. Kagome peeked out from behind them with Shippo attached to her neck. Noriko frowned. This wouldn't do. She had no desire to harm Kagome.

"Oi, what the hell do you want, wench?" InuYasha spat his hand resting on the frayed hilt of his fang.

"Are you always this rude, half-breed?" She asked with a smirk already knowing the answer.

"Half-breed, heh. Some nerve you got. What are you anyway?" InuYasha replied.

"Human." She answered simply and began to circle the group in a wide arch.

They moved with her, everyone except Sesshomaru, who regarded her silently out of the corner of his eyes. Kagome pushed away from InuYasha and Shippo jumped to Miroku's shoulder.

"Who are you and what is it you want from us?" Kagome asked, her tone serious, but respectful.

"For you to leave this place, my dear. My quarrel is with the dogs, not you and your other companions." Noriko replied with an earnest smile.

She certainly hoped Kagome would heed her warning, but she seriously doubted her luck would extend that far and she was right.

"You still didn't tell me who you are." The tenacious girl said.

"My name is Noriko and I'm here for the sons of InuTaishio. That is all." Noriko answered in the same way she had before.

Kagome gasped and fisted her hand over her heart. Noriko didn't stop her trek until InuYasha grabbed Kagome's arm and shoved her away finally drawing his sword. Noriko watched the fang transform and it brought back memories that just fueled her conviction. That fang had been created to protect a human woman, a human woman that had not been her.

"Get out of here, Kagome. You too, Miroku, and take the runt with you. You heard the wench. This is between us and her. Go!" InuYasha said never taking his golden eyes off of her.

Still Sesshomaru didn't move. It was unnerving and reminded her of his father. She scowled; hate filling her body from head to toe. She wanted to tear the look off of his face.

Kagome retreated with her two companions, but Noriko sensed them come to a halt along the edge of the clearing. Damn. Oh well, if they knew what was good for them, they would stay out of her way.

"Alright, wench, you got us. Now what?" InuYasha growled.

Finally. Noriko didn't answer. She simply smiled and conjured her dark magic. They needed to be weakened before the spell took hold and the horde of demons hadn't done the job like she had hoped. There was no other way, but to attack. All she had to do was be faster than them and with the potion strong within her veins that shouldn't be a problem.

She shot forth a wave of reiki and lowered her stance to sprint away if needed. InuYasha retaliated as she guessed.

**"Bakuryuha!"**

Not very original. She pushed off her heels, infusing her energy into her legs and was instantly airborne completely out of the path of the blast. She glared daggers at the stoic Lord who still hadn't moved except to look on as if he were merely a spectator. He was a hard one to read, like his mother. How infuriating.

Noriko growled and twisted in the air calling forth a storm of energy to shield her body and plummeted back to the ground. Her impact shook the earth under foot and caused the ground to crack from the velocity. InuYasha was thrown off balance and Sesshomaru jumped closer to the Bone Eater's well where the ground remained undisturbed. Still he made no attempts to attack.

"What's the matter, my Lord? Allowing another to rid the world of your father's dishonorable indiscretion for you?" She taunted mockingly.

She caught his eyes narrowing slightly before a flash of red pervaded her peripheral vision. She moved quickly to the right and narrowly escaped InuYasha's claws. She skipped along the grass and launched back into the air. She could see InuYasha watching her carefully and Sesshomaru sifting his fingers through his hair like he was bored. Her next attack was aimed for the Taiyoukai.

She drifted back to the ground watching her purple energy ball block Sesshomaru from view. She felt his youki flare and smiled to herself. He had actually put forth some effort into protecting his own precious hide. The bastard.

Noriko didn't let her defenses down. There was still another opponent lurking behind her. She waited until InuYasha started forward before blasting Sesshomaru again once he became visible. His sword was stuck into the ground and his chest was rising and falling swiftly. Once again he was obscured and this time she heard him roar. She smiled in satisfaction.

**"Kaze no Kizu!"**

Shit! It was coming from her left, not behind her. She flipped backwards and stumbled on her landing. She had gotten distracted and it had almost cost her everything. InuYasha now stood in front of her blocking his older brother from another attack, her reiki around the Taiyoukai fading rapidly. Noriko managed to get to her feet. She tried to keep her disappointment at the turn of events off of her face and casually brushed off her kimono.

"Such brotherly love. Warms the heart." She said with a malicious chuckle that sounded deranged to her own ears.

Kagome watched from the bushes, her heart stuttering in an irregular gallop and her breathing labored. Who was this woman and why was she after them? She was a Miko and a very powerful one at that, but not all of her powers were spiritual. She was human, just as she had said, but there was no way a human could possess that kind of power.

A flash of green whipped through the clearing and around InuYasha's body. It crackled and with the scream of pain that followed came the sound of ripping flesh. Sesshomaru had finally emerged from the purification bubble surrounding him and he was a sight to behold. Kagome was sure it would haunt her dreams for many years to come.

His face was distorted, caught in mid transformation. The lower half of his visage a partial muzzle, his lips pulled back exposing rows of jagged teeth with patches of fur sprouting in various places. His eyes were wide and swirling with molten crimson around the slits of his pupils. His silver mane whipped around him in the waves of youki that permeated the air causing Kagome to have to fight her own powers to keep from having a very unfortunate accident.

A vicious, deafening snarl echoed through the clearing and Kagome shivered. He was positively frightening. Even InuYasha cowered slightly. She wouldn't have even noticed it had she not known him as well as she did. This was about to end very badly for Noriko.

The dark Miko shifted her feet and Kagome saw the blood covering the grass bellow her. Part of Kagome felt sorry for the woman, but she should have known better. Sesshomaru was not one to be trifled with, even she knew that.

Sesshomaru walked forward slowly, his crimson orbs boring a hole through the injured woman. It was the deadliest Kagome had ever seen him. InuYasha moved out of his incensed brother's path and tightened his hold on Tetsusaiga keeping an eye on his brother just in case.

Kagome watched Sesshomaru stop then disappear. There was nothing but a blur of almost imperceptible white leaving a dizzying trail from where the demon Lord had once been. He rematerialized with his hand clamped around Noriko's throat, her feet dangling off the ground. His face had returned to normal, but it was evident from the blood running down the woman's throat that he was anything but calm.

"This Sesshomaru demands an explanation, Miko. Consider it your final words." He spat, even irate and disgusted he still sounded dignified.

Kagome watched the suspended priestess' shoulders begin to shake, the tremors traveling down her entire body. At first she thought the woman to be crying and she wouldn't blame her, but when the hysterical laughter sounded, Kagome's eyes widened. It was a trap!

"Stupid mutt. Just like your arrogant father. Kill me if you so please. It makes no difference." Noriko wheezed venomously.

Kagome was moving before she knew it, trying desperately to stave off the attack she knew was coming. InuYasha was close enough to Sesshomaru that, if she could get to them in time, she could save them both.

Kagome felt the stirrings of power come from deep within Noriko, only this didn't feel the same as her other attacks. It held an unimaginable amount of reiki that could easily purify them both and was infused with something else, something sinister. Kagome pushed herself harder.

"Fools! You will know the extent of my pain! You will know what it is to be weak and helpless against the world! You will suffer and despair!" Noriko's voice boomed unnaturally through the clearing and Sesshomaru's hand began to smoke where it clutched her neck.

Kagome saw InuYasha raise Tetsusaiga, but it wasn't in time. A flash of black engulfed the priestess and Sesshomaru jumped back, his hand smoldering at his side, and a grimace on his face. Kagome was almost there, but her window of opportunity was growing thin.

"Thank your heartless father for the suffering when you meet him in the afterlife!"

Kagome could feel the tendrils of corrupted holy power licking against her skin. She rushed past Noriko as a massive orb formed between the woman's hands the tendrils exuding from her chest. InuYasha rushed forward, his fang glowing poised to strike and Sesshomaru's fingertips were lit up with his venom.

No! It was a trap! Couldn't they see? Kagome didn't have the oxygen to warn them; instead she flung herself into the foray crashing into the first brother she reached, knocking him off kilter.

For Kagome, everything in that moment slowed down. She could hear Miroku's voice yelling her name and saw the fluttering of red from the corner of her eye crash into a tree. That's when she realized that Sesshomaru had pushed InuYasha away from the blast and that they had been the ones to absorb the brunt of it.

Then they were falling into what felt like, an endless chasm with an intense pressure at her back pushing them along. She felt a blinding pain sear her flesh and her fingers clutched the Taiyoukai's armor reflexively as she cried out, her insides lurching violently. He roared deafening her before her vision flared white then faded away.

InuYasha couldn't believe what he was seeing. So much was going on that he hadn't even sensed Kagome approaching, by then it was just too late. He watched the energy emerge from within Noriko's chest, a smile on the woman's face as the twisted reiki flew towards both him and Sesshomaru. He had been prepared to take it, but Kagome suddenly appeared and collided with Sesshomaru. At the same time, the arm of said demon Lord knocked him back several yards away from his woman and the expected attack.

The next thing InuYasha knew, he was sliding down a broken tree with Kagome and Sesshomaru screaming encompassed entirely in dark energy that reeked of purification. There was an explosion, he felt parts of his flesh sizzle and he bit his tongue to keep from shouting. He couldn't sense them anymore.

_No! It couldn't be. Were they? No!_

He didn't even notice the dark Miko collapse after the energy faded. He rushed to the spot in front of the well where Sesshomaru had been standing and sniffed the air scrupulously. He felt the familiar stirrings from the well and without thought, jumped in only to be met with bones and dirt at the bottom of the dried up hole. No magic swirled about him and Kagome was nowhere in sight.

He jumped out in one bound and landed in a crouch on the grass. He tried again, but it still didn't stir to life. He pounded the earthen wall with his fist and jumped back out. He continued to jump in and out of the well with the same effect each time. Absolutely nothing. He felt hands seize his shoulders and tried to shrug them off, but they remained steadfast.

"We must get her to Kaede's. She may be the only way to get Kagome back." Miroku said calmly.

InuYasha didn't want to hear that. He wanted Kagome back where she belonged, by his side, and he wanted her now.

"Please, my friend. We need to move quickly, she is fading."

InuYasha broke the hold Miroku had on him and stomped past a weeping Shippo. He stopped beside the kit and looked down.

"Suck it up, Shippo. I got to drop this bitch off, but I'll be back. You keep watch just in case Kagome comes back through." InuYasha commanded picking up his Tetsusaiga and sheathing it.

Shippo straightened himself to his full meager height and dried his eyes quickly.

"You got it, InuYasha." He said before hopping onto the lip of the well his eyes staring down into the depths.

InuYasha's eyes zeroed in on the crumpled form of his assailant. Once she gave them the answers they needed, human or not, she was going to die.

A/N: Thank You LoveInTheBattlefield, GiggleboxGirlie, & supermangageek23 for your reviews! I appreciate the feedback.

I'd also like to thank Seika32 for her fave!

And as always all the readers are the best! There will be another update soon!

~scattered-dimensions~


	8. Chapter 8

Sesshomaru awoke in the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in his life. It was remarkable, really. Never had he felt the sensation so acutely, not even when InuYasha took his arm. It hurt to even draw breath. He opened his eyes and was met with what looked to be a tunnel with a roof over it.

He took a sniff of his surroundings, but his sense of smell wasn't as refined as he was use to. The only thing he was able to register was the musty smell off old dirt and something sweet, like flowers, though the kind was unidentifiable. Curse that wench. When he got his claws on her, she wouldn't live long enough for her heart to skip a beat.

He made to sit up finding his entire body feeling like a lead weight. Every fiber of his being screamed in protest and he let out an uncharacteristic groan. There was a shift against his armored abdomen and he looked down. His brother's woman was sprawled across his lower body, blood staining the hardened hide of his breast plate where her face rested.

It took Sesshomaru a moment to recall the events that had put him in this position. Ah yes, Kagome had tried to push him out of the way. How foolish.

He pulled himself the rest of the way upright and grimaced. She didn't move. He couldn't hear her breathing or her heart beating. Perhaps she was dead. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't hear anything but the distant chirping of birds.

He pushed the girl off of him and stood, his head swimming. He heard a muffled whimper from her and stared down at the bruised face that scrunched in pain. Why did she sound so far away? Normally he was able to hear the wind blowing even when it was coming into contact with nothing but itself or the sound of a being's life force pumping through their veins. Now, it was as if all the sound in the world was gone. It was comparable to being deaf.

"Ugh, my head." He heard her moan recapturing his attention.

Even her voice sounded muted being so close. She rolled to lie completely on her back and winced, immediately adjusting her position back to her side. She raised a trembling hand to her forehead and he watched her eyes flutter, astounded that he couldn't hear that either. She blinked once, then twice, before locking her unusual blue eyes onto him.

"Inu…InuYasha?" She said her voice cracking.

"No." He replied coolly, his own voice sounding strange to his ears.

She blinked a few more times running her tongue over her abused bottom lip before she spoke again.

"Sesshomaru?" She asked remembrance dawning on her slowly.

He didn't acknowledge her and she didn't seem to care. Instead, she grunted in pain before slowly sitting up. Her hair shifted revealing the tiny Miko's back. Sesshomaru's eyes widened at what he saw. The haori she wore had been completely burned away leaving her back exposed. Deep, ugly gashes seeped blood into the fabric surrounding the multiple wounds littering her flesh. He heard her hiss and he took notice of the fact that he couldn't smell her blood either.

"Kagome?! Kagome, is that you?!" An unfamiliar voice yelled from above them.

It sounded like an old man, but with his senses muddied the way they were, he didn't trust his own ears. Kagome seemed to recognize the voice, though. Her head snapped up, her strange blue eyes wide.

"Grandpa!" She yelled back scrambling to her feet.

The volume of her voice in such a confined space should have caused him pain, but it didn't. He saw her stumble and grab for the earthen walls around them. Blood began to drip onto the dirt below her feet. Her movements had upset her wounds. He secretly admired her strength. He didn't know many demons that would move after sustaining the type of injuries she had.

There was a sliding of a wooden door and then a light shined down on them, blinding him with the unexpected brightness. He threw his hand up to shield his eyes, not at all surprised to find that they did not thunder with pain like they should have. So all of his senses had been affected.

"Kagome! Who's that with you? Are you hurt? Hold on, I'm coming down!" The old man said hurriedly, his voice flitting through several different emotions with every question.

"No, Grandpa! I'm fine, just lower the ladder and we'll climb out!" Kagome yelled back.

There was shuffling then a rope ladder was lowered down to them. The light flooded the entrance above them once again, but he averted his eyes in time now that he expected it.

"We're coming out, Gramps!" Kagome yelled.

"You sure you don't need help, Kagome?" The old man asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure! Just need a minute!" She replied, her voice cracking under the effort.

Kagome stumbled forward until her hands gripped the bottom rung of the ladder. She turned to look at him over her shoulder and it took him a moment to register the emotion displayed there. Fear, it was fear. She was suddenly afraid of him now, no doubt because the hanyou wasn't around to protect her. It mattered not. He wished her no harm.

"I know this isn't going to make sense to you, but this is my home, where I come from. I don't know how it happened, but we fell through the well to my time. You have a lot of questions, I know, but trust me when I say everything will be explained to the best of my ability later. I just ask you; no, I'm begging you, Sesshomaru, please don't harm my family or anyone else you encounter here. This is not the world you know." She said softly before pulling herself up.

He gawked at her for a moment like she had gone mad.

_Time?_ What did she mean _time_? How was this not the world he was used to?

He watched her make slow progress up the ladder and scoffed silently to himself. He didn't need to climb like a human.

He attempted to flare his youki to summon the energy needed to jump out, but it did not heed his command. He tried again with no avail. He decided upon a menial task, the healing of his soreness. Still there was no reaction. He bit back a growl. That witch cursed him! She would pay greatly for this.

He took hold of the rung begrudged in having to debase himself in such a way and hauled himself up behind her, finding his movements to be clumsy and weighted, like he couldn't control his body properly. His youki had been repressed somehow, but to what extent, he didn't know. He would have to experiment later.

Kagome missed the step she was aiming for and slipped with a cry. Her hands gripped the rung while her knuckles turned white under the strain. He saw her wounds flex and open further, the blood flowing liberally now. Some of the droplets hit his face. He wiped it away with his sleeve and scowled.

"Kagome?!" Came the frantic voice of her grandfather.

"I'm okay." She said behind gritted teeth while she righted herself.

It surprised Sesshomaru that she actually made it out of the hole at all. He emerged into a building and swung his legs over the side of what he now knew to be a well. He looked at the aged wood as if it would answer all his questions. There was no mistake in his mind. This was the same Bone Eater's well that had been in the clearing, but how could that be?

"Oh no, Kagome, you're bleeding. We have to get you to the hospital."

Sesshomaru took his eyes away from the well reluctantly and met the sight of an aged man stooped over Kagome's crumpled form on the ground. He saw her shake her head in protest and wondered what this _hospital_ was her grandfather had spoken of.

"N-no. Is Mom home?" She asked weakly.

His senses may have been dulled, but he could tell she wouldn't be conscious much longer. The climb had overtaxed her human body. He moved forward and knelt beside the girl, her eyes heavy and unfocused. She had shielded him from a potentially fatal blow, even if he hadn't needed her assistance. Her honorable actions had placed him in her debt for the time being.

"Miko, you need a healer." He said before scooping her up in his arms.

"Wha…Who are you? Where's InuYasha?" The old man asked excitedly rummaging around in his haori for some unknown object.

"No, Gramps. Don't…please…Sess…no…your youki…I can't…feel…" She mumbled before passing out leaving him dazed cradling her limp and bloody form.

She was bleeding profusely, in undoubtable pain, and she was concerned about him. What a very strange human.

"I don't know who you are or what you've done to my granddaughter, but we need to get her in the house quickly." Kagome's grandfather said warily.

Sesshomaru was not in the mood to deal with this nuisance of a man, but he could not deny the fact that he was right. She needed aid.

He allowed the old man to lead him outside. The shift in lighting caused him to lower his head. He saw Kagome's chest rising and falling with every breath she took, her eye lashes fluttered against her ashen cheeks in reaction to some dream she was having.

It was perplexing to be this close to another living creature and not be able to feel their very existence. She was real enough, her weight light in his arms even though his muscles felt as though they had turned to mush. He could feel the warmth of her blood soaking through his sleeves and quickened his pace.

Sesshomaru raised his head. The first thing he noticed was the house the elderly man was ushering him to. He would have never guessed that this girl lived in such extravagance. Her family must be very wealthy. The architecture was foreign and it brought Kagome's warning to mind. This was another world, her world.

The man pushed the door open and waved him to follow. Sesshomaru was immediately bombarded by a woman with short, dark hair that resembled Kagome. Her mother he presumed.

"What happened, Dad? Kagome, honey? Can you hear me? We have to get her to a hospital. Oh Kami, look at all the blood."

The frantic woman dashed off into a room that held peculiar looking cabinets. He heard the sounds of drawers opening and slamming then the woman returned with a bundle of towels and a box with a red cross on it. She looked up at him in confusion, probably wondering who he was just as the old man had.

"I need to put pressure on her wounds. Put her down over here. Dad, call an ambulance." She ordered motioning to a low table.

Sesshomaru did as instructed, positioning Kagome on her stomach, and stepped away while the woman went to work. She pushed Kagome's matted locks out of the way. He saw her face contort as if she was the one in pain and tears began to slide down her cheeks. She worked swiftly pressing the linens onto Kagome's back. They were sullied immediately.

"Dad, did you call the ambulance?" She asked moving to remove the first set of soaked towels just to replace them with more.

"She said not to." The old man answered his voice cracking with emotion.

"Why on earth not?" The woman asked her father heatedly.

The elder man nudged his chin in Sesshomaru's direction. She turned large, glistening brown eyes on him.

"Where's InuYasha?" The woman asked, her voice trembling.

That was the second time someone had asked where the hanyou was. Sesshomaru supposed it should have been expected. The Miko belonged to him after all, but considering all that had happened this day, the very mention of his name was grating on his nerves.

"The half-breed is elsewhere." He replied tersely and exited the house.

He recognized the Goshinboku next to the building that covered the well complete with the scar where InuYasha's body had once been. He cursed under his breath. It seemed that no matter where he went, the shadow of his brother would always follow. He trudged across the grass and sat down at the base of the familiar tree. The wind picked up and for the first time in his life, he felt a chill.

Sesshomaru growled in frustration and adjusted his pelt to cover himself better. Thus far he had surmised that his youki had been repressed, but there was one way to know for absolute certain. He lifted his hand and placed it on the hilt of Bakusaiga. The reaction was instantaneous. He felt fire lick his palm and jerked his hand away. That witch had done more than just subdue his youki.

He felt insurmountable rage well up inside him, but the usual changes to his humanoid form did not happen further solidifying the undeniable fact that his powers were gone. He had even lost the ability to transform into his true form. He cursed that damn witch to the fiery rings of Hell. When he returned, he was going to make her suffer.

* * *

"Outta the way, Miroku." InuYasha demanded angrily stomping up to Kaede's hut.

The houshi just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, my friend, but I can't do that." He replied solemnly.

"I can't believe you are protecting her after what she did." InuYasha growled.

"She's severely injured and won't be any help to us if she dies." Miroku said placing his staff against InuYasha's chest when he tried to push passed him.

"Feh, don't do this, houshi. Kagome's missing and she's with that bastard. Anything could have happened and I can't get through the well! We need to find out what that bitch did!" InuYasha yelled, his voice growing in volume with every word spoken.

Kaede emerged from behind Miroku and approached the livid hanyou.

"InuYasha, she will not be answering any questions tonight. Ye brother's poison is strong in her veins and she has lapsed into sleep. I have given her herbs to counteract the venom's effects, but only dawn will tell." Kaede reported with a haggard look on her face.

InuYasha softened a little and crossed his arms.

"Just tell me when she wakes up." He snorted and turned to walk away.

He was going to try the well again. Maybe something changed and it would let him through. His nerves were on edge and he felt like crawling out of his skin. He couldn't forgive himself for Kagome getting mixed up in all this. Stupid girl. She should have left when he told her to. Why didn't she ever listen to him?

"Just another thing, InuYasha. Since ye brother is not around and this priestess is here in my home, I suggest ye keep a close eye on Rin. It would not be wise to leave her here and ye alone hold the ability to protect her from whatever evil that may come of these events." Kaede advised and InuYasha sighed.

She was right, as usual.

"Send the twerp out. She'll stay at my place with Shippo." He said gruffly.

A few minutes later Rin came running from the hut a bundle full of her belongings in her arms. Shippo walked up and placed his hand in hers, his face swollen from all the crying he had done. InuYasha walked them to his hut and started a fire in the pit.

"I guess you can sleep in Kagome's spot, just don't mess with her things. I'll be back in a little bit." InuYasha said.

"InuYasha?" Shippo's voice was rough from his tears.

"Yeah?" InuYasha turned to look back at the kit who had his hand still in Rin's.

"Bring her home." The little kitsune said with a heartbreaking sniffle.

InuYasha didn't know if it was possible to get to Kagome with the well inactive, but he was going to try. He'd dig a hole to her time if he had to. He'd conjure up every soul in the underworld; tear the very fabric of space and time with his bare hands, anything to get her back. It was as if Shippo knew this. The way the kit looked up at him reassured him that he could and would do just as he was requested.

"You got it." He replied confidently.

He saw the ghost of a smile spread across Shippo's face before he left the hut. He ran as fast as he could back to the clearing. The longer he was away the higher the risk of him missing Kagome if she came back through on her own. He couldn't get the sound of her screaming out of his head and what made his anxiety worse, Sesshomaru had made terrible sounds of pain as well. Kagome was probably hurt and he needed to be there for her. Hell, he just needed her period.

Later that night, Rin awoke to InuYasha returning. His clothes and hair were matted with dirt and sweat glistened on his face in the waning fire light. His shoulders sagged and he just looked tired. She watched him pull out a small, shiny object out of his sleeve and began twirling it in his fingers. She knew he loved Kagome and also knew he had been unsuccessful in his attempts to save her.

Rin couldn't help herself. She threw the covers back and walked over to InuYasha. He ignored her presence completely, his focus intent on the golden ring in his fingers. She padded across the cold floor to his pallet and pulled the top blanket off. She draped it around his shoulders gaining his attention.

"I know you and Lord Sesshomaru don't get along, but he will protect Kagome. Lord Sesshomaru is a good person." She said trying to imbue the dejected hanyou with her firm faith.

"I hope you're right, kid. I really do." He replied quietly and Rin went back to bed.

It hurt to know Lord Sesshomaru was missing and she was worried about him, but Rin knew that Kagome would take care of her Lord in the event that he was injured. They would find a way back home, she just knew it. Lord Sesshomaru would never leave her behind.

* * *

A/N: Thank you LilyLilah, LoveInTheBattlefield, Gigglebox Girlie, & for their reviews.

Also Arcane Theorem, Demonic-Otaku, Ethril, Sailor-Linnea, Shadows Hidden By The Moon, , llebreknit, Nero Bastardino, & dxlmao for their follows & faves.

All of you are AMAZING!

~scattered-dimensions~


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Before this chapter begins, I owe someone an apology. During my last chapter acknowledgments I left out someone who reviewed, faved, & followed my story. It was a typo & was never my intention. I've tried to fix it, but the correction hasn't gone through for some reason. I'm also new to all of this. So, you have my sincerest apologies. You were not forgotten I promise. I posted two chapters this time just for you. I hope you enjoy them.

* * *

Kagome awoke to a cool cloth brushing across her brow. The pain from before had dulled, but she still felt overwhelmingly exhausted. She opened her eyes and was met with the familiar sight of her mother's smiling face.

"Mom?" She asked unbelievingly.

"I'm glad you're awake, honey. How do you feel?" The elder Higarashi asked kindly.

"Better." Kagome tried to sit up, but her mother's hand on her shoulder prevented it.

"No, your back is pretty torn up and you lost a lot of blood. You need to stay still. Dad said you didn't want to go to the hospital and from the looks of your friend, I can see why." Her mother said with a soft smile. "Don't worry. It's noting I couldn't fix. You'll be up and about in no time."

"Oh Kami, Sesshomaru. Where is he?" Kagome asked frantically.

"So that's his name. He's sitting under the God tree in the yard. Odd fellow, that one. He hasn't spoken a word since he brought you inside yesterday and your grandfather is watching him like a hawk." Her mother said with a light laugh.

"I have to go talk to him." Kagome attempted to move again, but was stopped.

"I understand, sweetie, but I have some questions of my own. What happened to you?"

The concern in her mother's eyes hurt worse than the initial pain of the dark Miko's attack, just in a different way.

"We were attacked and somehow Sesshomaru and I were pushed through the well. He doesn't know anything about this world, Mom. I have to talk to him."

The hands holding her down didn't budge.

"If he's a friend of yours I'm sure he'll understand."

"That's the thing. We're not exactly friends and he's not a very patient demon."

"So he's a full blooded demon? Not like InuYasha?"

"No, Mom, not like InuYasha. He's actually a demon Lord if you want to be specific and I wouldn't mention InuYasha around him. It's a sore spot. Please, let me up."

"Fine, but don't overdo it, missy."

Kagome, with the help of her mother, stood up. She took her steps slowly and gradually made her way down the stairs and outside. Sesshomaru was exactly where her mother said he would be and he did not look happy at all, not that she'd ever witnessed him in an emotion outside of his many shades of anger.

She walked up to him and knelt in the grass a considerate distance away. Her back throbbed and her head was spinning, but she ignored it.

"Miko." He said in greeting his lazy gaze turning to meet hers.

"Sesshomaru, what do you want me to explain first?" She asked getting right down to business.

"You mentioned this Sesshomaru's youki before losing consciousness." He prompted and she sighed. Of course that's where he'd want to start.

"I can't sense it. It's like it doesn't exist or you're…" She stopped herself before saying the word human.

She had no desire to anger him. Their current predicament was bad enough.

"It is the same with you. Your reiki is undetectable to this Sesshomaru among other things." He spoke as if it was nothing but a change in the weather.

She hadn't thought about it before now, but she did feel strange outside of the whole pain and wooziness. She attempted to summon her reiki, but nothing happened, not even a spark. It had to do with that blast of energy Noriko shot at them before they fell. Kagome would stake her life on it. Just perfect. If she couldn't use her powers, she couldn't get back through the well. InuYasha must be so worried.

"My powers won't work." She confirmed.

"Nor do this Sesshomaru's. Explain where this place is." He said next.

She felt nervous all of a sudden. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought to be having this discussion with the Lord of the West.

"Well, we are in the future. 500 years in the future to be exact. This is where I was born." She said and waited.

"Elaborate, Miko." He said and she could hear the edge in his voice.

No, definitely not a happy camper.

Kagome sighed and set about the daunting task of explaining everything about her travels back through time to the Taiyoukai gaining not one reaction in return. Boy oh boy, this was going to be…something.

As insane as the Miko's explanation sounded, it made sense. The only thing he felt like contesting was the assumption that there were no demons here in her time. It was impossible that his lands had fallen to mere mortals in any length of time much less a measly 500 years, but she was adamant about it. She even fetched a strange looking map that outlined all the human settlements and even the roads. The human populace had exploded and it was difficult for him to wrap his mind around it all.

Her mother interrupted them with the request that Kagome come inside and she extended the invitation to him, but he ignored it. He had never accepted help from humans and he wasn't about to start now. As much as he cared for Rin, he never accepted her aid and what the Miko had done was of her own free will.

He had gotten her assistance for her injuries and as far as he was concerned, his debt was paid. He couldn't help but think that this situation he was in was the Miko's fault. If the ignorant girl hadn't knocked him backwards he wouldn't even be here in this strange world to begin with, or was it the blast that knocked him backwards. He was still undecided.

He heard footsteps on the grass walking towards him. A young boy who resembled Kagome held out a tray of what he assumed was food. His nose had been utterly useless to distinguish the contents from a distance.

"Mom thought you might be hungry, so she made you a plate." The boy said.

Sesshomaru ignored him. He didn't eat human food.

"It's really good. Mom makes the best oden. It's Kagome's favorite."

The boy fidgeted in the silence.

"I'll just leave it here for you…I'm Souta, by the way, Kagome's brother."

Sesshomaru continued to ignore him, but the kid was very persistent.

"I've never seen a full demon before. InuYasha's only half. I didn't know anyone else could come through the well besides him. Do you know him?"

"Hn." Was the only response he got from Sesshomaru.

"Souta, come inside and quit bugging him!" Kagome called from the open doorway.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He called back then focused his attention back on the irritated youkai. "We'll talk more later, 'kay?"

Sesshomaru felt the urge to shake his head. The boy was quite dense. It should have been more than obvious that he didn't want to talk nor did he enjoy the company. There was only one human he cared for and she was 500 years in the past without him there to protect her.

Sesshomaru's thoughts clouded over with visions of Rin's smiling face. His sweet and gentle Rin. He wondered what she was doing and if she was safe. He didn't doubt the old Miko's word, otherwise Rin would not be entrusted into her care, but Sesshomaru had left the dark priestess alive and that posed a threat to his ward. He just hoped his baka of a half-brother would protect the girl in his stead. Kami help him if he didn't.

There would be nowhere to run for the half-breed if harm befell Rin during his absence. He wouldn't just test the whelp like he had in the past, he would end his existence completely, blood of his father be damned.

"It's supposed to get pretty cold tonight. Will he be okay out there like that?" Kagome's mom asked concern marring her features as she stared out the window at Sesshomaru.

"I guess. He's a demon. They don't get cold like we do. Besides, I don't think he'll come inside if a blizzard struck." Kagome said stuffing her face.

"Yeah, he's not the conversational type either. He just ignored me." Souta pouted.

"I told you not to bug him. He's not like InuYasha." Kagome said patting her full tummy happily.

"What do you mean?" Souta asked and Kagome was more than aware of the three sets of eyes staring at her.

"Umm, you see, he's InuYasha's older half-brother and they don't get along." She began twiddling her fingers.

"InuYasha's brother? Cool." Souta said already riveted.

"Half-brother, Souta. I guess it's cool if you're into knock down drag out sword fights. Anyway, he doesn't like humans and since InuYasha's mother was human…well you get the idea." Kagome explained her voice growing quiet, afraid he was listening in with that supersonic hearing of his.

"I don't get it, if he doesn't like humans then why is he here with you?" Souta asked genuinely confused.

"It's complicated. The point is that he's here now and I have no idea how to get him back to where he belongs. Just give it a rest, okay and don't go asking him fifteen million questions." Kagome snapped.

"Honey, just what kind of pers…err, demon…is he?" Her mother asked in _that_ tone.

"Hehe, an inu?" Kagome tried but the look on her mother's face said she wasn't having it. "He's very powerful and stoic. He also doesn't take too kindly to people meddling in his business or getting in his way in general." Kagome shot a pointed glare at her brother who matched it with his own. "And I don't think he likes me at all. Other than that, I have no real intel on him. So, please, please, try not to make him mad."

This time Kagome turned pleading eyes to her fuming grandfather who was meticulously praying over a stack of useless sutras. Kagome's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Don't even try it, Gramps." She warned darkly and the old man's mouth fell open.

"He's a demon…" He started.

"He's a guest." Kagome's mother corrected gently.

"Who likes to sleep outside in the cold." Souta finished snickering.

Kagome groaned and hid her face in her hands. This was a nightmare. Having InuYasha around was bad enough, but now she had Sesshomaru, the hateful, stoic Taiyoukai of the West here in her time.

"You look tired, sweetie. Why don't you go up to bed and I'll keep an eye on your friend." Her mother said with a reassuring smile.

Kagome got up from her seat slowly, the pain still very much in play. She felt like lying down on the floor where she stood. She was so tired, but just as reluctant to leave Sesshomaru unattended near her family. She hadn't told them about the many times Sesshomaru had tried to kill her or any of the life threatening situations she had been in whether he was involved or not. She never wanted them to worry. None of them had a clue as to what Sesshomaru was capable of.

"Everything will be fine. Souta, it's your bedtime anyway. You've got school tomorrow, remember?" Her mother continued.

Souta grumbled under his breath and trudged up the stairs to his room. Kagome followed feeling the remnants of her anxiety return full swing. She felt arms go around her and pull her into a gentle hug.

"We missed you, sweetheart. Welcome home." Her mother whispered before letting her go.

She gave her mother a weak smile and took on the daunting task of climbing the few steps left to her room.

Sesshomaru was in midthought with his eyes closed and his head resting against the age worn bark of the Goshinboku when a feminine voice cleared its throat. He looked up to see Kagome's mother standing there holding several blankets and smiling at him.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Sesshomaru-sama, but I thought you might be cold. So, I brought you these." She said softly holding out the stack of multicolored coverlets.

Sesshomaru wanted to disregard her presence, but something about her refused to allow him to do so. Maybe, it was because she addressed him properly or maybe, it was just the simple caring nature she exuded, either way he took the stack of blankets from her and set them on the ground beside him. She stooped grabbing the untouched tray of food and he saw her frown, but she didn't comment further.

"I know that we don't have much, but you are welcome to come inside and share what we do have, Sesshomaru-sama. I would hate for you to catch a cold." She tried.

"This Sesshomaru does not get illnesses." He replied slightly annoyed that the woman compared him to a weak human.

"I see. Well, the offer stands. Our door is always open for you. Oh, and my name is Akira, by the way." She said with an even bigger smile.

Sesshomaru glanced at her as she walked back into the strangely built house and sighed. He honestly didn't know if he would get sick now that his youki was suppressed. He still didn't feel the same, his body not his own. It was as if his entire head was stuck in a bucket and he had tried to meditate to calm his irritation, but the wind started blowing effectively breaking his concentration with its icy fingers. He couldn't ever remember being cold in his life. It was a most unpleasant feeling.

Sesshomaru fingered the blankets. They were soft and made of a material he'd never seen before. He pulled his boa over to cushion his head against the tree and repositioned himself to contemplate everything that had been thrown at him in the past two days. His hand fell away from the stack of blankets and he reminded himself to ask the elder woman where she got such things. They seemed infinitely warmer than the blankets in his own time. Rin could use something like this during the upcoming winter months.

* * *

"You two go to Sango's. I don't want either of you near that wench." InuYasha commanded after he fed the two kids under his protection the evening meal.

Shippo didn't really need it against normal enemies, but the dark Miko was anything, but normal and he'd never forgive himself if Shippo got hurt. As much as they fought, the little runt was family. He'd die for him first.

"But, InuYasha…" Shippo started to protest and the hanyou balled up a fist ready to knock him senseless.

"Come on, Shippo. We get to play with Yuuta and Emi. It'll be fun. Maybe we can look for Shika, too." Rin said saving Shippo a world of pain.

"Alright, but if you need me, InuYasha, you just yell. I got something for that crazy bat." Shippo called over his shoulder as the duo walked away.

Like that was going to happen. InuYasha didn't bother walking. He ran straight to Kaede's only to discover that Miroku was inside questioning the now conscious woman. Kaede stopped him at the entrance.

"She's very weak, InuYasha and I doubt ye presence would help." Kaede said, but he wasn't hearing it.

"I don't give a shit about what helps that wench. I want to know what she did to Kagome." With that he brushed briskly past the old Miko and entered the hut.

What he saw stopped him in his tracks. The woman he had fought in the clearing two days prior had been young with dark hair, but the woman lying on the futon next to the fire was white headed, her skin wrinkled and rice paper thin. What the hell?

Miroku gave him a warning glare and an imperceptible shake of his head. For once, InuYasha obeyed. He sat down in the far corner of the room away from the woman's line of sight.

"Please continue, Lady Noriko." Miroku asked with a kindness that made InuYasha's stomach turn.

How could he be so polite after what she did?

"I was very young and thought it best to see how the other half lived. I marched right into the Western Lands and pledged my loyalties to Lord Masahiro. He regarded me as a simpleton, but humored my request. After a time, I became invaluable to him." She explained, her voice weathered and cracked with age.

"Invaluable how?" Miroku asked curiously.

"You see, times were not as they had been for demons. The human population had grown and they were warring constantly amongst themselves. Lower youkai took the opportunities to ravage the human villages leaving the people in constant fear for their lives. The Western Lands were and still are the biggest territory in Japan, so the infighting was causing many problems for the Taiyoukai and his subjects as well. It also didn't help that every human, regardless their standing, viewed demons as evil abominations and demons view humans as inferior beings. There was much strife." Noriko explained.

"It seems not much has changed." Miroku commented.

"Indeed." She began to cough and Miroku moved to place a cup to her lips.

"Better?" He asked.

InuYasha wanted to knock him out. What did any of this have to do with Kagome?

"Much. Thank you. It was my job to be a liaison between the divided worlds. I negotiated peace treaties with the human nobles and villages; in exchange Lord Masahiro provided protection from outside youkai attacks for those who accepted his ruling. Within a few years the land flourished and I had become a royal member of court, one of the Taiyoukai's advisors." She said weakly.

"That is quite the accomplishment. So, you hold no ill will towards Lord Masahiro?" Miroku fished.

"No, he was good to me. Firm and unsympathetic at times, but he was a demon that showed respect to those who deserved it. In his eyes I had proven myself. I mourned his death. He was a rarity in this world and the first demon I had encountered that held merit." She continued a bit of sadness mixing with her tone.

"How is it you have sustained your life this long?" Miroku asked pointedly.

InuYasha wanted to whoop with joy. Finally.

"It was a gift, one that, as you can see; I no longer have in my possession." She explained enigmatically.

"And what misgivings do you have towards Lord InuTaishio's sons?" Miroku asked seriously.

The question was met with silence. InuYasha stood up abruptly, ready to give her a piece of his mind, but Miroku held up his hand.

"Please, Lady Noriko. It is imperative that you tell me. I'm sure we could find a solution to it all. We are missing our friend." Miroku pleaded.

"For that, houshi, I am sorry. It was never my intent that Kagome get mixed up in this. My targets were only Sesshomaru and InuYasha, but I do not hold the strength in me to bring them back and even if I did, I do not know where they are." She explained regret lacing her voice.

"So, you are saying that the spell was not meant to do that?" Miroku asked his face mirroring InuYasha's fearful expression.

"No. It was merely supposed to rob them of their demonic powers, turning them mortal trapped in a demon body. When Kagome intervened, the spell went awry. I do not know what happened. Kagome is a powerful priestess. It is possible that my power transfused into her momentarily fueling her powers to transport her and Sesshomaru somewhere, but I cannot say for certain. Each Miko's abilities are different." She continued.

"They are alive then?" Miroku asked his voice strained in anticipation.

"They were before they disappeared." Noriko confirmed.

"Thank you, my Lady. I will leave you to rest." Miroku said while standing.

InuYasha followed the houshi outside. He wasn't happy about the explanation, but hadn't sensed a lie from the woman.

"Well?" He asked Miroku impatiently.

"There is much more to her story and I believe that may be the key to getting Kagome and Sesshomaru back. However, I believe her when she said they were still alive." Miroku explained.

"Why not just kill us?" InuYasha asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because, my dense friend, her intentions were to inflict pain and suffering, not to kill. She must have been very angry with the both of you." Miroku said patting the hanyou on the shoulder.

InuYasha was at war within himself. He didn't like feeling useless. He should be able to bring Kagome back. That woman had the answers and he couldn't touch her. However, she had given him a general idea of where Kagome might be. If she actually absorbed some of Noriko's power, then it was highly likely that she was sent home…with Sesshomaru. They had to get them back fast before his idiot human-hating brother went crazy.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagome woke and dressed in the most comfortable outfit she could find. She chose a baggy sweater that had been her father's. It was three sizes too big, but she couldn't stand to have anything rubbing against her bandages. She complimented it with a pair of leggings. Her back felt better, but any excess movement caused the skin to stretch and pull. She just tried her best not to aggravate it which was harder than she thought it would be.

She was going to scar, her mother had confirmed it, but she couldn't leave Sesshomaru unattended. He hadn't caused any problems so far. He hadn't asked for anything, but a bucket of water since their arrival and that had been so he could clean the blood off of himself. Kagome didn't know Sesshomaru that well, so she couldn't properly predict his thoughts. She just couldn't take the risk. She'd rather be scared for life than to have an angered Taiyoukai on the loose.

Kagome joined her family for a hearty breakfast and fixed a plate for Sesshomaru. She didn't really know what he liked, but her mother's cooking had to better than anything he had ever tried whether he agreed or not. Either way, she couldn't allow him to starve. He seemed to be hell bent against accepting anything from humans which didn't surprise her. He still had a stack of blankets sitting beside him completely untouched.

She found him fast asleep leaning against the God tree his pelt wrapped around him hiding his armor from view. She watched him for a moment, amazed at how peaceful he actually looked and the fact that he hadn't sensed her presence yet. Then she remembered. They both had lost their powers. She knew what that meant for her because it had happened before, but she didn't know how that affected Sesshomaru. She knelt beside him and set the tray down.

"Sesshomaru?" She said softly, but he didn't stir.

She was hesitant to touch him, but she didn't see any way around it. Her hand paused above his shoulder and she took a deep breath. She nudged his arm and watched as his eyes flutter open. He looked confused at first, but once he looked over at her, his face fell back into indifference.

"Good morning, Sesshomaru. How are you feeling?" She asked politely.

He looked at her coolly and gave her a "Hn."

That was more than she had expected out of him. They hadn't exactly been on speaking terms since their last talk four days ago.

"I brought you breakfast. I thought you might be hungry considering you didn't eat last night." She said motioning to the covered tray.

He looked at it for a moment then turned his nose up haughtily.

"This Sesshomaru does not eat human food." He said and her eyebrow twitched in irritation.

She brushed the fleeting feeling off and stood slowly. She winced when her back began to sting, but it was something she was getting used to.

"I'll just leave it here just in case…Um, I was wondering if we could try to get back through the well today. Since we came through together, it might be best to try to jump down together first and if that doesn't work we could try it separately. That is if you feel up to it." She couldn't keep the nervousness out of her voice if she tried.

He stood shaking the grass of his pelt and adjusted his armor, his fingers narrowly missing his swords. He ran his clawed fingers through his mussed hair and Kagome watch in amazement. She had never seen him any state of disarray except for the time that InuYasha took his arm. Oh, and the time he grew it back. She kind of felt special like she was the only one witnessing a mythical unicorn.

He shot her a look that said '_it's about time'_ and walked towards the well house leaving her scrambling to catch up. She found him waiting by the well peering down into the dark hole.

"How do you want to do this?" She asked more out of courtesy than anything else.

"The acceptable manner would be to jump would it not." He said as if she were stupid.

Kagome bit her tongue to keep from flying off at the mouth. Instead, she sat on the lip and swung her legs over gingerly. She waited until Sesshomaru was in position before sliding over. They both fell in simultaneously.

Kagome landed on her feet, but lost her balance winding up on her knees. The movement tore at her back and she clamped her throat around a squeak of pain. She stood and looked up seeing the roof of the well house. Her head fell in disappointment and she looked over to Sesshomaru. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

He was kneeling with one leg, his head bowed, and his face covered in a silver curtain. She could see his shoulders rising and falling exaggeratedly as if he were taking deep breaths. She couldn't understand why he was still like that. Maybe he was angry or maybe he was trying to force his powers to work. She didn't know.

After a moment, he stood and she saw the reason he had remained still for so long. There was a shard of bone protruding from his kneecap and an unusual amount of blood soaking the white of his hakama.

"You're hurt." She said forgetting who she was talking to and rushed forward to inspect his injury.

She dropped to her own knees ignoring the jarring pain in her back. It didn't look like it had gone deep, but his hakama were so baggy she couldn't be sure. She could tell that he wasn't able to extend his leg all the way and kept his balance on his toes.

"We've got to get you into the house so I can take a look at this." She said standing and brushing her clothes off.

"That is not necessary." He said stoically his nose turning up at her again.

"Look here, Sesshomaru. I'm trying to help. There's no sense in you being so stubborn about this. You can blame me for the situation you are in now all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you may need me to get back and you definitely need me to explain this world to you. So, would you like to go up the ladder first or shall I?" Kagome said forcefully asserting herself against his snobbery.

He was silent for a moment before motioning to the ladder gracefully with his hand.

"After you, Miko." He said.

It took Sesshomaru longer than she would have expected to climb out of the well. His leg must have really been hurting him, though you couldn't tell from his facial expressions or lack thereof. He was limping by the time they walked into her house and it worried her.

Blood had soaked the silk of his hakama to the point that it was dripping on the floor causing the silky material to cling to his leg. He should have healed himself by now. Even if the object was still imbedded in his knee, his body should have at least staunched the blood flow. InuYasha had never had such troubles and he was only half demon.

She had him sit at the kitchen table and he pulled his pant leg up over his wounded knee for her to inspect it. She washed her hands thoroughly before gently prodding the area which earned her a raised eyebrow. He had no clue what germs were and she wasn't exactly in the tutoring mood at the moment. His leg looked horrible. It was swollen and was starting to bruise, which was an odd reaction for a demon's body to have, not to mention all the blood.

She extracted the bone fragment with a set of pliers from her grandfather's toolbox and silently praised herself for getting it out on the first try and in one piece. When she applied the antiseptic, though, he jerked his leg away and narrowed his eyes at her. The threat was clearly written across his face. She swallowed thickly around a sudden lump in her throat. She'd never missed InuYasha more than she did in that moment with the cold golden eyes of Sesshomaru boring holes through her.

"It stings, I know, but it will prevent infection." She explained hastily.

He allowed her to continue. She had his knee wrapped in record time and he stood testing his weight on the injury after he replaced his hakama leg. His face scrunched in a grimace and he shifted the weight back to his toes.

"Do you think the spell affected your healing abilities as well?" She asked unable to contain herself any longer.

He glared at her and limped back outside.

Just great. Now he was mad because she asked a simple question. Jerk. She hadn't even gotten a lousy thank you for her efforts. So much for trying the well again today. She'd check on his leg tomorrow with any luck it would be right as rain and they would be able to return to his time.

Kagome trudged into the living room after cleaning up the mess she had made and switched on the television. They were calling for snow in a few days and her thoughts drifted to the stoic Lord sitting under the Goshinboku outside. Was he really okay or was he just putting up a front? Kagome didn't know and it bothered her.

* * *

_"My sight goes dim, Noriko." The gravelly injured Taiyoukai said._

_"No, My Lord. Do not say such things. You are strong. Your body just needs a few more days to heal itself." She refused to hear it._

_"Such a strange human you are, little one. You know as well as I that my time here has ended. There is no reason to despair." He said with a weak smirk._

_Noriko couldn't help the sadness that welled up inside her. She had come here to make a difference and had done just that, but she had never expected to care this much for him. She respected Lord Masahiro like no other. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she jumped when a cool, claw tipped finger followed the salty paths._

_"A human shedding tears for a demon. I did not think I would live to see the day." He chuckled lightly and his hand fell back onto the futon._

_"My Lord, I…"_

_"Listen now, Noriko. My time grows short and there is much that needs to be said."_

_Noriko dried her face and sat enthralled awaiting him to speak again. He took a deep, shuttering breath and began to speak, his voice authoritative._

_"The Northern Taiyoukai will move against these lands once I am gone. InuTaishio is not prepared to handle both political ventures and the battlefield. He is a natural born General and the men address him as such, but he will need you to handle the human affairs. Avaka is…" He paused for a moment deliberating his next words._

_"I will be blunt. She is a loathsome, vain female who cares for no one but herself. She hates humans with a passion and once she becomes Lady of the West I fear she will exact her wrath upon the very ones we've worked so hard to protect. InuTaishio doesn't see it yet, but we need to live in harmony with mortals or it will be the death of us all. You understand don't you?"_

_Noriko held back her gasp at the unexpected vehemence in her Lord's voice and her eyes widened when he took her hand in his. _

_"It will take more than the lifespan of a human to accomplish this, Noriko."_

_Her hand began to hurt and she tried to pull away, but his grip was strong._

_"Do not give up on him."_

_The pain was unbearable now and still he refused to release her. She felt her reiki begin to fluctuate and battled it back. She refused to harm her Lord._

_"This is my final gift to you. It has been an honor to have met you, Lady Noriko. Forgive me for placing this burden on your shoulders."_

_The room exploded in blue energy and her powers flared to life fighting against the youki trying to invade her person. She could barely hear herself screaming in excruciating pain over the roaring in her ears. Then it was quiet and her hand loose from the vice grip in had been held in._

_The guards came barreling into the room, weapons drawn, but when they saw her covering the demon Lord's face, they dropped to their knees in reverence._

_"Summon Master InuTaishio. His father has just passed into the next world." Noriko commanded choking back the emotion invoked by the loss of her friend and the sizzling pain that was crawling towards her chest._

_She held her composure until she entered the hall and closed the heavy chamber doors behind her. She looked about the empty corridors and broke into a run. Tears stung her eyes and she fisted the fabric over her heart. The vital organ thundered and she nearly collapsed when her vision flared white. She pushed her shoulder up against the cool, stone wall and tucked herself into a dimly lit alcove._

_She brought the hand that Lord Masahiro had grabbed up to her face, inspecting it meticulously. She saw no change in the flesh, no burn marks, not even a scratch, but there was something appearing on her wrist. White hot agony seared behind her eyes and she dropped to her knees bracing herself against the opposite wall trying to control her breathing. The discomfort passed and her heartbeat regulated itself. She brought her hand up again and this time focused a small amount of her reiki to the tips of her fingers._

_They flared a dark purple and she gasped. Her powers had always been pink. Surely it could not be possible? Had Lord Masahiro infused her with his own youki? She let the power die out leaving her in the shadows once more. As ludicrous as it was, there was no other explanation. _

_Noriko felt tears spring anew and she openly wept for the demon Lord. He had just given her a gift more precious than all the gold in the world, one that had ultimately ended his life. She felt unworthy of his sacrifice, but she would honor it. She would see peace brought to these lands._

Noriko's eyes opened and she was surprised to feel hot tears sliding down her cheeks, pooling in her ears. She raised her hand to wipe them away and stopped to look at the appendage. She hadn't expected herself to fade so fast. She did have to expend quite a bit of energy to stay ahead of the inu brothers' attacks. Perhaps she depleted more spiritual reserves than she had originally thought.

"How do ye fair, Noriko?"

She turned her head to see the elderly Miko, Kaede, stirring a pot over the fire pit.

"I'm dying. How are you?" She asked not being cynical in the least. It simply was the truth.

"I am as well as an old woman can be." Kaede said spooning broth into a bowl.

Noriko could hear her bones popping as she hauled herself to her feet. She felt a twinge of regret that this woman was caring for her in her current state. It was never Noriko's intention to involve others in any part of her scheme, especially not this stage. She was nothing but a burden now and even though she knew they were trying to gain information about Kagome, she had none to give.

Kaede grunted when she lowered herself back onto the floor and began spooning the broth into Noriko's mouth. After the meager meal was over, Kaede sat about changing her bandages. The changes in her body had been expected, but Noriko had not been prepared mentally for it.

She supposed this must be what Sesshomaru was feeling. A stranger in his own skin. She smiled devilishly. She was sorry for Kagome's unfortunate involvement and for the fact that InuYasha had been spared, but Sesshomaru had not gotten away. At least one part of her plan went right and she could pass on with the peace of knowing that.

"Ye have been here for almost a week. Care to tell me why you haven't answered Miroku's questions?" Kaede asked while placing a clean blanket over her.

"There is nothing that I could tell him that would get Kagome back. The reasons for what I did are my own. I have given the last bit of strength I had to cast that spell and now I will fade from this world." Noriko explained her weak voice foreign to her ears.

"Are ye truly not concerned with what happened to them? To Kagome?" Kaede asked.

Noriko felt her mood darken.

"I care not what happens to him. He's an arrogant dog just like his father and deserves every bit of suffering the human hating bastard receives." She spat in reply.

"And Kagome?" Kaede asked gathering the discarded bandages.

"I have told you already that I regret her involvement, but she was warned. It is out of my hands." Noriko replied with a sigh.

"I see."

Kaede stood with a grunt and tossed the soiled bandages in a waste basket. Noriko watched as the old woman busied herself around the hut, sorting herbs and folding linens. It was clear that Kagome held a special place in all of their hearts and it made that flood of guilt wash over her again. What if something terrible happened to the girl at the hands of Sesshomaru?

Noriko shook her head. No, she would not dwell on it. The young Miko had involved herself after being thoroughly warned. Whatever fate she met was of her own doing. Noriko's hands were clean.

* * *

A/N: I want to thank Queen Of The Dream, LoveInTheBattleField, & Gigglebox Girlie for their reviews and follows.

Also a big hug to iHopPwns & raphaelsconsort for their follows.

I try to acknowledge everyone who takes their valuable time to read one of my creations (faves, reviews, follows, & hits). You all make it very rewarding. I cannot think you all enough.

~scattered-dimensions~


	11. Chapter 11

Kagome watched the snow fall outside her kitchen window. She wondered if it was snowing on the other side of the well, but dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come. She didn't want to think about her friends right now. She couldn't cry anymore.

Her powers hadn't returned and the well wouldn't let them through no matter how many times they jumped in. Sesshomaru eventually refused to try after the third day. He still hadn't eaten anything nor had he come inside. He was still sitting under the Goshinboku and it was snowing, the temperatures well below freezing. She kept a constant vigil over him. It wasn't good to be exposed to the elements like he was, but she couldn't make him do anything he didn't want and it wasn't from lack of trying.

He wouldn't let her look at his leg and she was concerned. She had caught pain on his usually expressionless face many times during their attempts at the well and once when she had brought out a tray of food. He hadn't known she was looking. That was another thing she couldn't get over.

He didn't seem to hear her until she got right up on him, like he had lost his hearing or had the hearing of an inferior mortal. She'd learned her lesson the first time she asked about his healing abilities. She didn't want to make the same mistake about his senses as well. So, she kept her thoughts to herself. It was obvious he didn't want to seem weak.

"Kagome, I've made a bowl of stew and some hot chocolate for Sesshomaru-sama. Want to take it to him?" Her mother asked cheerily.

"Sure thing. I really hope he eats it this time. You know you don't have to use the honorific, Mom?" Kagome said taking the tray from her mother.

The thoughts of not being able to return had soured her mood a little and Sesshomaru's stubborn nature did nothing to help. She set the tray on the kitchen table and grabbed her coat.

"He is a Lord, Kagome, and deserves the respect that goes along with the title. It's not easy to hold that kind of position and if it makes him feel more comfortable here then what could it hurt?" The elder woman said helping Kagome into her coat.

"I guess you're right. Sorry I snapped at you. I'm just…"

"I know, sweetie. I know."

Kagome walked out the door tray in hand. Her boots crunched on the snow as she neared Sesshomaru. Immediately she got the gut feeling that something was wrong. The fact that he was actually using the comforters was the first red flag. They were caked in snow as if he hadn't moved in some time. She sped up her pace. She couldn't see his face behind the fluffy boa that pillowed his head to tell if he was awake or not, but he didn't turn to look at her like he normally did and she was making quite a bit of noise.

"Sesshomaru?" She asked a little too loudly.

He didn't move.

She shook his shoulder after she placed the tray aside and the only response she got was a groan. Warning bells went off in her head. Something was definitely wrong. She moved to see his face and felt her heart drop into her stomach. His lips were a sickly blue and his skin paler than normal. Beads of sweat were popping out on his brow and he was shivering violently. Her hand went to his forehead automatically. He was running a very high fever.

"Sesshomaru?" She said trying to get him to open his eyes, but to no avail.

She shook him as hard as she could muster and he finally stirred. He looked at her and smiled.

"Rin…" He patted her head like she was a small child.

"No, Sesshomaru. It's Kagome. You're running a fever."

His brow furrowed in confusion and a set of particularly vicious tremors shook his body causing him to groan. It was clear he wasn't in his right mind so she had no misgivings about touching him this time. She pulled his other arm out from under the snow laden blankets and threw it over her shoulder.

"Hold on to me. We're going to stand up now."

He looped both arms around her neck, his arms heavy and his hold weak. She got a sturdy grip on his armor and began pulling him to his feet.

"Miko, have you located Naraku?" He asked and Kagome felt her heart clench.

"No, Sesshomaru. We defeated him remember?" She grunted while pulling to him.

His brow furrowed again and he frowned deeply.

"Sesshomaru, you've got to try and help me. You're too heavy."

His movements were lethargic and weighted, but he managed to get his own feet under him. The standing up part was the worst. They fell twice, but by the grace of the Kami above, she was able to get him upright. He was panting and his face showed his discomfort openly, his fangs biting into his bottom lip. She didn't have time to be in awe this time. She had to get him out of the freezing cold.

"Can you walk?"

His head dropped to her shoulder and he groaned again.

"Come on. You can do this. I'll get you warm and give you some medicine. You'll feel so much better, I promise."

He lifted his head and met her eyes his face completely unguarded. She felt her breath stick in her throat suspiciously.

"I have never been sick before."

He sounded so pitiful and it made Kagome want to hug him, but she remembered that this was Sesshomaru not some cuddly puppy.

"I'll get you better."

He just nodded his head and put one foot out to begin the journey to the house. He faltered, his leg giving way, nearly pulling her down with him. His injury hadn't healed. She switched sides and allowed him to lean on her. Her back was screaming in agony, but she got him inside. He fainted the moment she laid him down on the couch.

Her mother helped to undress him. His clothes were soaked from the melting snow and he was shivering uncontrollably. Kagome fetched an electric blanket to stave of his chill. Her mother put a cool washcloth on his forehead to counteract the fever and Kagome set to work on his injured knee. It smelled horrible and she didn't know if she could stop the infection without professional help. This was where his fever was coming from and he had the beginnings of hypothermia.

Kagome wrapped his knee in clean bandages and placed it under the blanket making sure she tucked it around his feet so he wouldn't lose any toes. She bit the inside of her cheek in indecision. Sesshomaru needed a doctor and even though he was demon, his body didn't react like a normal demon's would. It was almost as if he was mortal, though a much heartier version.

It dawned on her. Noriko's intent had been to strip him of his youki all along. She never intended to kill him outright. She had said she wanted him weak and to suffer. Now he was terribly ill and his body didn't have the natural born instincts to fight off the septicity like a human did.

Fear seized her heart. Sesshomaru could die.

"Mom, we have to get him to the hospital." Kagome said running up the stairs to pack an overnight bag.

He'd be mad as a hornet when he woke up, but at least he would be alive and well. After this was all over, stubbornness be damned, he was staying in the house. She sent up a prayer to any God that was listening to give her the strength and fortitude to weather the storm that was Sesshomaru and for his full recovery. She stuffed her bag full to bursting with whatever she could grab and ran back down the stairs just as the EMTs arrived.

* * *

"You need to come inside, squirt. It's cold out here." InuYasha said to Rin who was standing outside the hut looking up at the stars.

"InuYasha, do you think Lord Sesshomaru's okay?" She asked her voice sounding scratchy.

InuYasha scented the air. She'd been crying.

"Look, kid, he's fine, just like Kagome is. I have a feeling they're in her village. He's in good hands." He said with more confidence that he actually felt.

She spun on her heels and looked up at him with glistening brown eyes, her face full of hope.

"You really think so?" She asked.

"Yeah." He responded and she wrapped her arms around his waist in a crushing hug taking him off-guard.

It took him a moment, but he hugged her back awkwardly trying to comfort her the best he could. InuYasha felt bad for the girl. She was the only one who truly loved Sesshomaru no matter how much of a dick he was. Well, maybe Jaken could be lumped into that category, but that was more out of hero worship...he hoped. InuYasha hadn't taken the time to think about what Rin was going through, his focus soley committed to Kagome. She pulled away and dried her eyes offering him a bright smile that melted his heart.

"Look, InuYasha, a shooting star!" Rin exclaimed pointing to the sky.

InuYasha smiled. He picked her up and put her on his shoulders, something his mother used to do when he was little. She giggled and lifted her hands to the sky trying to touch the twinkling lights.

"Make a wish, Rin." He said thinking of Kagome telling him to do the exact same thing.

It felt like a lifetime ago, but it had only been a few years. He'd been so hateful to Kagome back then. He thought she was just going to betray him like everyone else had. Like Kikyou had. He'd been such a baka to even put Kagome in the same category as Kikyou. They were nothing alike.

Kagome was warm hearted and open minded. She didn't hold the bitterness Kikyou did and no matter the obstacles, Kagome remained pure of soul. Kikyou hadn't been that strong. In fact, InuYasha had never met another person in his entire life that was as strong as Kagome. His smile widened. Kagome was probably the only one who could handle his entitled brother. Yeah, she was fine.

"Let's go inside." He said putting Rin on her feet.

Rin followed him into the hut and sat next to the fire humming to herself. He plopped down in the floor not too far away and Shippo jumped up on his shoulder.

"What did you say to her, InuYasha? She's been so sad lately." He whispered keeping the conversation between just the two of them.

"Nothing." He said folding his hands in his sleeves.

"Yeah, but…" Shippo began to protest.

InuYasha shot him a look that had him snapping his mouth shut. The kit hopped down from his shoulder and sat next to Rin. He pulled out one of his toys and they began playing some made up game.

It had been a week since Kagome and Sesshomaru disappeared and Noriko wasn't talking. Miroku sat with her most days; trying everything he could to extract information. Sango had even tried a couple of times. InuYasha was on the verge of clobbering the woman, but he couldn't do that. She wasn't strong and powerful anymore and she held the same scent he'd smelled on Kaede.

That was another thing bothering him. Kaede hadn't left her home much lately and at first, he thought she was just looking after the dark priestess, but now he wasn't so sure. Miroku said Noriko was dying. Could that be what was wrong with Kaede? He didn't ponder it too much. He honestly couldn't handle losing another person he cared about.

Tomorrow he was going to see Totosai. Maybe his father's old friend would have something he could use or at least be able to point him in the right direction. For once, he actually wished Myoga would show up. As annoying as the cowardly flea was, he did know what he was talking about. Someone had to know something. Noriko was somehow connected to his old man. He just had to find out how.

Laughter filled the hut and InuYasha couldn't help but feel at peace with the moment. He would find a way to bring Kagome back and when he did this was the life they would have, a warm fire crackling in the pit of their home and the sound of children playing. He wondered if Kagome was thinking of him just like he was her and closed his eyes to let his memories of her surround him in a comforting blanket.

Shippo looked over at a slumbering InuYasha. He'd never seen his friend so tired. The hanyou had spent every spare moment he had sitting next to the well. If he was not there, then he was grilling Miroku about what Noriko had said that particular day which was usually nothing. Shippo felt sorry for InuYasha, the guy just had terrible luck when it came to women.

He was surprised at how well InuYasha was handling the whole guardian thing. He never would have expected the hanyou to actually take care of them. He thought Sango would wind up doing it, but InuYasha made sure they bathed and had enough to eat. He never let them venture too far from his sight.

Shippo supposed that had been Kagome's influence. It seems his dense friend could be taught after all. He didn't know what InuYasha had said to Rin, but she was smiling for the first time in in almost a week. She had been so worried about Sesshomaru, afraid that something bad had happened since he hadn't returned. Nobody had told her about Kagome's time travel and thought it best to just leave it that way. The less people who knew the better and when InuYasha got them back, Sesshomaru could explain it to her if he wished.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to LoveInTheBattleField, GiggleboxGirlie, I love snowy owls(& for your fave), TheAnonReviewer & Silent Lyoness (took out the . in your name, hope it posts ^-^) for their reviews!

Also to BAlleRinaROse, Lorelei evans, MoonJewel, Visceral Mel, heathercaron56, & kaetlyn96 for their follows.

Sorry there was no update yesterday, but I promise to make up for it.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

I'll be posting more soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	12. Chapter 12

Kagome hadn't slept in two days and was nodding in the chair next to Sesshomaru's hospital bed. There had been a lot of questions asked and strange looks given. She had told the doctor and attendants that his ears were a birth defect when they had asked if he had them surgically altered, otherwise they'd be looking for his medical records somewhere to ensure he would have no reaction to the medications they were giving him. She couldn't have that.

As far as his condition was concerned, she told him he was her cousin and they had been camping, but he took a fall and had been lost overnight. They seemed to accept her explanations, as unbelievable as they were, and fixed him up with IV drips and antibiotics. They had given him pain medication and he had slept through the entire thing, thankfully.

His temperature had been a whopping 105 degrees and she was glad she had made the decision to bring him to the hospital. She also felt guilty that he was suffering like this. She'd been so wrapped up in her own world that she hadn't considered his side of things, though his pigheadedness hadn't helped any.

It must be so hard for him to have to adjust to all the information she dumped in his lap. She had no clue how old he was, but InuYasha was near 150 and he had said his brother was centuries older. She couldn't imagine having to try to wrap your brain around 500 years of human progression, the downfall of all demons, and the loss of one's true self in the span of just a few days especially after hundreds of years of programming.

Kagome had watched over him, afraid to sleep just in case he woke up. She doubted he would feel fear, but confusion was a high probability. When he did wake, she would have to explain everything and it made her a little nervous. He was in a human facility and they had put needles in his arm. She didn't know how he would react to that. Regardless of his bond with Rin, he was here because of his loathe of humans or maybe it was just his loathe for her.

Her head fell forward and she jerked it up blinking her eyes rapidly. She grabbed her coffee off of the side table next to the hospital bed and took a long drink. It didn't revive her like it had the night before. Just as she set the cup back down, Sesshomaru's eyes opened. He tried to sit up, his amber eyes darting about. His movements halted when he tried to bend the arm that held his IV's.

"Don't move too much, Sesshomaru." She said laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He looked at her with wide eyes for a moment before his face went lax. She was surprised he didn't jerk away from her and do as he pleased. He must have still felt bad.

"Where is this Sesshomaru?" He asked coolly.

"You're in a hospital. It's a medical facility that treats the injured and sick with advanced methods." She explained, hoping that would be enough for the time being.

He looked around the room again and then his eyes settled back on the tube taped to his arm.

"You were running a very high fever and your knee had gotten infected. That tube is pumping medicine into your body to help you heal faster." She explained further.

"Hn." He said and Kagome rolled her eyes.

"I have to go get the doctor. Don't do anything mean to him, okay? He's just trying to help. By the way, if they ask, you were camping and fell. Oh, and you're my cousin." She flashed a nervous smile before ducking out the door.

Sesshomaru allowed the human healer to poke and prod him without a fight. He checked the _IV_ and said that he had been malnourished, almost starved. That didn't surprise him. He'd been refusing the food Kagome brought him each day choosing to believe he didn't need it. His hunger pains told him otherwise, but he refused to heed them as well. It seemed his resiliency hadn't held up as long as he thought it would. However, it wasn't as short lived as a human's which gave him hope.

The healer went further to say that Kagome had saved his life, one more day and he would have died. It was surreal to hear those words, but he could not argue. He had little memory of getting sick, just flashes of being so very cold and then Kagome's blue eyes looking at him, telling him she'd get him better. He had found himself in her debt once again.

The most terrible part of the healer's inspection had been the removal of a thing called a _catheter_ which was shoved in a place that nothing should ever enter. He almost punched the man in face, but he heeded Kagome's warning and kept his hands to himself. This was her world as monstrous as it was. The process was embarrassing and painful, but she had the decency to turn her back saving him from further degradation.

After the man left, he turned his attention back to his surroundings. The bed he was in was uncomfortable and he felt exposed without his normal attire. He could feel his entire posterior against the covers beneath him. He would have to ask that his affects be returned to him immediately.

There was a box next to his bed with glowing colored lights on it. His eyes narrowed when it made a very annoying chirping sound. There were lines being displayed on it that peaked and fell like some invisible person was writing on it.

"That's a monitor. It's monitoring your heartbeat. That clip on your finger sends pulses to the machine and it prints out the rhythm of your heart so the doctor can see that you're doing okay." Kagome explained though it wasn't helpful.

He was confused as to how something could monitor his heart from his fingertip and he had no idea what a _machine_ was nor did he understand how the rhythm of his heart could be printed without a scribe standing beside the bed. Perhaps it was magic.

He rested his head against the pillow noticing that the ceiling held some form of candles he had never seen before, but he didn't bother to ask. It was astonishing that humans had created all of this. His eyes drifted to a vase full of flowers next to his bed. He reached out his hand and trailed his fingers down an orange petal.

"Mom bought them for you as a get well present. They're lilies. I hope you like them." Kagome said quietly and he heard her yawn.

He took in her appearance. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was knotted on top of her head with wispy tendrils falling out of place, but what caught his attention were the dark circles under her eyes.

"You are tired." He stated and she smiled lazily.

He felt his heartbeat speed up at the sight. The chirping machine twittered in unison proving that it really did keep up with his heart's pace.

"I am, but you're awake now, so…" She yawned again.

"Sleep, Miko. This Sesshomaru will behave." He said turning to face the ceiling again thinking of everything the healer had told him.

"Thank you." He added as an afterthought, but when he glanced over at Kagome, he found her fast asleep.

He had never noticed before, but she was quite small and not unpleasant to look at. He pushed himself up amazed at how weak he felt and threw back his many blankets. His knee was throbbing, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. They had wrapped it differently than Kagome had and he wasn't able to move it at all. He could feel the chill in the room on his skin and turned his attention back to Kagome who was now curled up in the chair.

He threw his legs over the side and grabbed a blanket off of his bed. The tube in his arm prevented him from going too far, but he managed to put it over the slumbering girl. She fisted her hands in the knitted material and sighed.

"Mom, can I have some more pie…" She mumbled and he quirked an eyebrow.

Sesshomaru scrambled back into bed and covered himself back up trying to get as comfortable as possible with his new locale. He sniffed the air finding that it had no smell outside of the flowers at his bedside and something else, something sweet. It was the same scent he'd smelt when he first woke up in the well. He glanced over to Kagome. Was it her?

He scoffed at himself. It didn't matter if it was her or not. He wouldn't lower himself to sniffing humans. It was bad enough that he was going to have to eat the food they cooked for him and take them up on the offer of staying inside the house. He looked to the lilies and felt the velvety petals again. Rin would love these.

He let his head fall back onto the pillow and closed his eyes conjuring her face in his mind. She'd grown so much since the day he'd first met her. She'd been beaten and bruised, a small thing that was very intent on taking care of him though he didn't need her assistance. Just like Kagome. He shook his head. He was not going to compare the hanyou's mate to his ward. They weren't the same.

Sesshomaru was worried about Rin. He wasn't able to be there to protect her and it was excruciating. Anything could happen to her. He took little solace in the fact that InuYasha was there. He might be worthy to wield Tetsusaiga, but that didn't mean he could be trusted to care for Rin. Jaken was no better. He was a dense toad, though loyal, but no real protection.

The monk and slayer were formidable warriors, but their humanity limited their abilities drastically. He had to figure out a way to get back through the well. His youki was something that the witch herself would have to fix and he needed to be there for Rin, not to mention his lands which would surely fall into chaos without him. His eyelids were becoming heavy and before he knew it, he'd drifted into a fitful slumber

* * *

"Look, ya old bastard. You got to know something." InuYasha said his patience with the bug eyed sword smith growing very thin.

"Hmm…know what?" Totosai asked feigning confusion.

THUNK!

"You ain't foolin' anyone with the act. Spit out what you know about Noriko." InuYasha growled with his fist still cocked back just in case.

Totosai righted himself and prodded the tender knot on his head.

"Since you put it that way…You better sit. It's a long story." The old demon said.

InuYasha plopped down in front of him and lifted his eyebrows expectantly.

"Noriko was one of your grandfather's most trusted advisors. They worked hand in hand towards a peaceful future between demons and humans." Totosai began.

"Yeah, I know that already. What does all this have to do with her attacking me and Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked impatiently.

"Noriko was in love with your father. He cared about her. They were friends for many years, even throughout his mating with Sesshomaru's mother. Something changed after the war with the Northern Lands was over, though. The bridges that had been built between worlds had burned. Noriko was rarely seen, but after your father had Tetsusaiga commissioned, she disappeared completely." Totosai explained with a sigh.

"You mean she had a thing for my old man and that's why she attacked us." InuYasha asked incredulously.

Totosai nodded.

"But how did she survive for centuries. She's human." InuYasha asked.

"I do not know." Totosai replied with a heavy sigh.

"This didn't help at all. Is there anything else you can tell me that's actually useful?" InuYasha groused rising to his feet.

Totosai stroked his scraggly beard, his large eyes closing in deep thought.

"That's not exactly the whole story." All eyes turned to Totosai's shoulder where Myoga now stood.

"Oh, Myoga, when did you get here?" Totosai asked scratching his head then winced when he touched the sore spot.

"It is said Lord Masahiro granted the priestess a part of himself as a final gift. Lord InuTaishio told me that it prolonged her life and made her very powerful." Myoga declared.

"A part of himself? What the hell does that mean?" InuYasha asked crustily.

"Your father never explained that part." Myoga squeaked in response to InuYasha's forceful tone.

"Is there any of my father's faithful servants who actually know anything?" The irritated hanyou asked.

"Bokuseno might know what your grandfather did. He knows many ancient secrets." Myoga offered and Totosai nodded his head in agreement.

"Bokuseno, the old tree demon that Tetsusaiga's sheath is made from? What would a tree know?" InuYasha asked folding his arms.

"Perhaps you should travel there and find out, InuYasha." Totosai dismissed with annoyance.

InuYasha didn't say anything else. He didn't have time to sit and argue. He had to hurry. Every moment away from Kagome was one moment too long. Bokuseno was in the middle of the Western lands and a considerable distance away. He'd have to make arrangements for Rin and Shippo before going on such a long trip.

He was sure Miroku and Sango would be able to keep them while he was gone, but actually convincing Shippo to stay behind was going to be a tuffy. He could always just knock him out and then run. By the time the fuzz ball woke up, he'd be long gone. Yeah, that sounded like a solid plan.

* * *

_"Tomika said you were injured. How do you fair?" Lord InuTaishio asked from the doorway of Noriko's sleeping chambers._

_Noriko straightened herself in bed and tried to keep the pain off of her face, but was unsuccessful in her efforts._

_"I am fine, My Lord." She replied and his eyes narrowed._

_He walked further into her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She stared at his profile thinking how incredibly handsome he was then chastised herself for such thoughts. Even after all this time, she was still in love with him._

_"I came the moment I heard you fell in battle. I do not know what I would have done if…"_

_Noriko felt her heart sore into the heavens. He had been worried about her. When he turned to look at her, his golden eyes sparkling in the firelight, it was as if he was seeing her, actually seeing her, for the first time since that stolen moment so many years ago._

_"I've missed you, Noriko, the way it was. We used to be so close. I don't feel like I'm close to anyone anymore." He said softly giving her a reason to hope, but she held herself in check._

_"My Lord, you have the Lady." Noriko offered._

_"Avaka and I are on an amicable terms, but since Sesshomaru's birth, we don't seem to see eye to eye on matters of state. I will rule my lands as I see fit. I refuse to see yours and my father's efforts wasted because of petty discrimination, but I did not come here to bore you with my troubles. I just wanted to see that you were doing well."_

_Noriko blushed and hid her face behind her hair._

_"There's no need to worry, My Lord. The gift your father bestowed upon me is helping me mend quickly. I should be back at court in a few days."_

_He pushed her hair behind her ear and ducked his head until their eyes met._

_"I look forward to it."_

Noriko smiled in her sleep and rolled onto her side tucking her hand under the same cheek InuTaishio had brushed with his fingertips in her dream.

Kaede watched the woman from her own bedroll and pondered their time together. Miroku came in every day and would sit for hours at a time hoping to hear something useful, but Noriko remained silent. She could see the strain in put on the monk and his wife. They loved Kagome as their sister and had just gotten her back only to lose her shortly after. InuYasha was worse than them all. It was no secret to anyone, but Kagome how he truly felt about her. Even Shippo was doing better than she had expected, but that was probably Rin's confident influence.

In truth, Kaede was nowhere near as worried about Kagome's safety as the others were. She'd had many dealings with Lord Sesshomaru over the past few years and found him to be a hard, but fair demon. He was respectful enough in his own way, but what had ultimately changed her opinion about him had been the way he doted on Rin.

The young girl looked at the Taiyoukai as her father and Sesshomaru had taught her many things. Her manners were impeccable and her knowledge of demon lore was outstanding. She had a steep learning curve and picked up her general studies quickly. Herbalism was one of her strong suits and she had excelled in her medical training like no other Kaede had ever seen, except for her sister Kikyou.

At first, the girl's learning capabilities had astounded Kaede, but after several months of visits, it became an expected phenomenon. Rin would bounce around Sesshomaru when he would return to take her back to the West and tell him everything she had learned. He would listen to her until she had completed her entire diatribe before telling her to pack her things.

When Rin would stay longer than a couple of weeks, Sesshomaru would visit and bring her gifts. Most of the time it was a new yukata or a doll, but as Rin began to grow, Sesshomaru brought her hair pins and fine silks. Her presents were always age appropriate and showed that he cared. Rin was ever loyal to her Lord and it was a heartwarming sight to see them together if not a little humorous. A stoic Taiyoukai being bombarded with a multitude of questions and flowers from an overactive human child.

It was obvious that both Lord Masahiro and Lord InuTaishio had a soft spot for at least one human girl in their lives. The apple did not fall far from the tree it seemed. Kagome could handle herself against the toughest enemy, but the only thing she had to fear from Sesshomaru was his inconsiderate words, if he spoke at all. Rin was particularly fond of Kagome and Sesshomaru would do nothing to upset his ward.

Kagome was a smart girl and Sesshomaru had the experience gained from several centuries of life. They would find a way home.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Lorelei evans, llebreknit, LoveInTheBattleField, & TheAnonReviewer for their reviews.

Also want to sent a thank you to judzea, kagome-sano-jamakusai-miko, iamdevishangel, imthisperson, & mountain fountain triangle for their follows.

I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story thus far and I appreciate all of the kind words.

More will be posted soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	13. Chapter 13

"They're releasing you. Isn't that fantastic news, Sesshomaru-sama." Akira exclaimed and Kagome shook her head.

Sesshomaru didn't regard the woman at all. He was too busy inspecting the clothing that Kagome's mother had brought for him. She had thought it best that he not stick out any more than he already did on the way home and that it might do him some good to get out and see their time. Kagome wasn't as confident about the plan, but was going along with it anyway.

Sesshomaru held up a long-sleeved shirt and raised an eyebrow before putting it to the side. His brow furrowed when he unfolded the pair of jeans. His face smoothed out when he noticed that Akira had brought his boots, but the socks gave him pause. So did the undergarments. He looked up and met the woman's eyes.

"Where are this Sesshomaru's clothes?" He asked icily and Akira's face fell.

Kagome intervened placing herself between her mother and the Taiyoukai sitting in the hospital bed. She turned to her mother and smiled.

"Mom, why don't you go sign Sesshomaru's release papers while I help him with these." She said in faux cheeriness.

"Okay, darling. Oh, I almost forgot. I brought him a coat and his boa as well. I had it dry-cleaned." She said handing Kagome two plastic covered garments.

Kagome waited until the door shut before spinning on her heels to face Sesshomaru. She knew her anger was the product of sleep deprivation and probably a touch of anxiety, but she just couldn't help herself. No one disrespected her mother and got away with it.

"Is it not enough that you almost killed yourself because you think you're so much better than us humans? My mother is going out of her way to help you, to make you feel comfortable here, and you are being ungrateful." She seethed.

Sesshomaru shot out of the bed, his movements slower than she would have expected, but he was still fast. He towered over her, his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flaring. He was pissed. Good job, Kagome.

"How dare you talk to this Sesshomaru in such away, you ingrate. If it wasn't for your interference, I would not be in this loathsome place now." He stated in an even, but chilling tone.

"I thought she was going to kill you." Kagome defended.

"It is obvious that was not her intent. If you had any control whatsoever of your powers Miko, you would have known that. Your aid was not needed nor was it welcomed. You are no different than the witch who cursed me. You and your kind are a plague." He continued and Kagome felt her own anger subside at the stinging words.

She handed him the clothes she was holding and walked to the door. She opened it slightly; her head bowed hiding her face behind an onyx waterfall.

"I'm sorry, Sesshomaru. You are right. If I had been stronger, this would have never happened. I promise I will get you home somehow. I know Rin must miss you." She walked out the door allowing it to shut behind her.

Sesshomaru stared at the strange bags in his hands. His ire was possibly a little more severe than he originally anticipated, but she had no right to speak to him in that manner. Everything he had said was the truth and it was obvious she knew it as well. What made matters worse was the fact that they were trying to pass him off as human again. He had humored the Miko when the healer was in the room, but this was going too far. He took one look around then down at the strange apparels and sneered.

It looked like he had no other choice, but to bend to their wishes if he wanted to get out of this place. He threw the bags on the bed and pulled off his hospital gown. He took in all the clothing articles on the bed. Where to start?

Kagome wiped a tear away and straightened her posture. Sesshomaru was right to a point. It was all her fault that he had been trapped in this time. It was her fault that he had gotten sick. If she had been stronger, had tried to get training earlier during the hunt for the jewel shards, then she could have sensed the other Miko's intent. She had been able to with Kikyou. That had more to do with them sharing a soul, but she should have been able to sense certain things outside of that bond. Still, he didn't have to be so mean about it.

"What's the matter, Kagome?" Her mother asked concerned.

"It's nothing, Mom. I'm fine." She replied wanting to smile, but just couldn't.

"You seem to be fine a lot here lately. I'm guessing this has to do with Sesshomaru-sama?" She asked and Kagome sighed.

"Really, you shouldn't worry about it. I'll get him home somehow and everything will go back to normal." Kagome replied, her voice not as confident as she hoped it would be.

"You'll think of something." Akira assured with a smile.

The door opened behind Kagome and she turned to meet the sight of a fully dressed Sesshomaru. He was wearing the thick, corduroy winter coat her mother had given him over a dark sweater. The jeans fit him to the letter and his boots set the look off nicely. He had his pelt slung over his shoulder like always and his hair had been brushed until it shined in the florescent lighting.

"You look so handsome, Sesshomaru-sama. Doesn't he, Kagome? I'm so glad they fit." Akira gushed clapping her hands together.

Kagome felt her cheeks heat up and looked away. Her mother was right, but she didn't want to think about Sesshomaru that way. They worked just fine the way they were. He hated her and she respected him even if he was an insensitive jerk.

"Did you sign the papers?" Kagome asked.

"Sure did. Are you ready to leave?" Her mother asked Sesshomaru.

"Yes." He said and Kagome detected a hint of relief in his tone.

Boy was he in for a surprise.

It had taken them almost fifteen minutes to convince Sesshomaru to get inside the car. He was hell bent on refusing to _crawl willingly into a beast's belly._ Kagome had kept an eye on him during the ride just in case he decided to slaughter said beast, but he didn't move one muscle. They stopped and got some take out for supper so her mother wouldn't have to cook. By the time they returned home, Sesshomaru sat in the backseat wide-eyed and completely confounded.

That guilt stirred up again. Not because he was shocked about all of the bustling streets or skyscrapers or even the technology of her time. It was because she hadn't volunteered any information about the things he was seeing and had gotten a small amount of pleasure from his reactions. At the time she thought that it had served him right, but now she was rather contrite about it.

She grabbed her bag while her mother walked into the house and exited the vehicle. She walked around the car and opened Sesshomaru's door. He took his time getting out, his knee stiff hindering his movements. Once he was out, he stood there staring at the car like it was going to come to life any second. She half expected him to start growling.

Kagome shook her head and sighed. She was tired and sore from spending so much time in an uncomfortable chair. Plus, she wanted a bath and needed her bandages changed. Not to mention the extremely long explanation she owed him. She left him there and started off towards the house. She had her hand on the doorknob before she noticed that he wasn't following.

"You coming in or what?" She asked reminding herself of InuYasha.

She gripped her chest in pain. No, not now. She didn't have the strength to deal with this right now. The tears seeped from her eyes and she swiped them away, but more took their place. She heard Sesshomaru's boots crunching on the snow behind her and opened the door. She didn't turn around to see if he had followed her inside. She just bounded up the stairs and shut herself in her room.

Kagome dropped her bag and fell to her knees sobbing uncontrollably. There was nothing she could do to stem the tide. The reality of her circumstances crashed down around like a meteor shower and it was her heart that was taking the excruciating impact. She had gotten to spend a month with her friends, had started a life there after waiting four long years. Now it was gone, all gone.

_"Yuuta, Emi, say hello to your Aunt Kagome."_

_She saw the happy family sitting around the fire pit, Miroku holding Koari who was fascinated by his earrings while Sango helped the twins use their chopsticks. There was more rice on the floor than in the bowls._

_"You'll stay with me."_

_InuYasha's sweet face came to mind, his lopsided smile, and the way he worked so hard to make her feel like she belonged in the past._

_"Now that you're back, I want to stay…I missed you."_

_She could almost feel little Shippo curled up against her chest, his breaths ghosting over the skin of her neck where his nose remained buried while he slept. _

Kagome wrapped her arms around herself trying desperately to keep the memories at bay, her forehead touching the floor near her knees, but still they flowed drowning her.

_Kaede sitting by her fire pit, always with a cup of tea and warm comforting words. _

_The way Sango would slap Miroku and the way the lech would walk around displaying the handprint proudly._

_ InuYasha gobbling down ramen without waiting for it to cool and him complaining for hours afterwards about his tongue._

_Shippo defending her butt when InuYasha refused to stop and let them rest or the way he would jump up and down when she brought him a new pack of crayons._

_Kirara waiting patiently by the well for her return and the way she would nuzzle her head after a special treat._

_Shika, the way she always seemed so content on top of a shelf just watching everyone, but when Kagome needed a friend, she was there like she actually understood._

A knock sounded on the door, but she was too far gone to move. She was barely aware of it opening.

"Sis?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw her not-so-little brother's knees come to rest on the floor next to her.

"You okay?"

She sniffled trying to stop her emotional apocalypse, not wanting to worry anyone with her troubles.

"Y-yeah…I just…" She stuttered lifting herself up and wiping at her face.

"You can tell me, ya know. I won't tell anybody." He said his eyes worried.

"I m-miss them." She blurted and Souta pulled her into a hug just as the tears erupted anew.

* * *

"No way! You're not leaving me behind!" Shippo yelled up at InuYasha who was affectively ignoring him.

"Can you watch them or not?" The hanyou asked Sango who was trying to calm the crying baby in her arms.

"Sure. How long will you be gone?" She asked finally pacifying the baby with her finger.

"Three weeks, maybe a month tops." Shippo ran out in front of InuYasha waving his arms.

"You're not leaving me here for a month! I got just as much to do with this as you!" Shippo yelled shaking his fist and backing up a few paces.

**"HEART SCAR!"**

InuYasha caught him by the tail before he could reach his mark.

"So, is that going to be a problem, Sango?" InuYasha continued as if he didn't have a very angry kit dangling by his tail at arm's length.

"Let go of me." Shippo growled trying to contort his body enough to sink his fangs in InuYasha's wrist.

"You sure this is a good idea, my friend? Noriko may not have that long left." Miroku interjected.

"I swear you'll regret this!" Shippo exclaimed using his back paws to kick at the fist holding him in place.

"Myoga said Bokuseno might know something about her powers. I have to try. The well won't let me through." InuYasha said solemnly.

"I said put me down!" Shippo yelled swinging his fists at his captor hitting nothing but air.

"I understand. We'll do everything we can to keep her alive until you get back." Miroku said slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Baka! Are you deaf?! When I get out of th…" Shippo started, but was dropped face first in the dirt.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! I have the information you requested! Oh, where are you Milord!" Jaken was heard yelling from a short distance away.

"Information? What the hell is he going on ab…" InuYasha started, but was interrupted by a vengeful kit.

CHOMP!

"AH!"

WHACK!

"I'm just a kid, ya know!" Shippo yelled rubbing his head where InuYasha had punched him.

"Bite me again, short stack, and see what happens." InuYasha taunted with his arms crossed.

"Rin, did you see what he did to me?" Shippo asked his friend pointing a finger at the hanyou.

"Oh, Shippo. I'll put some herbs on it and you'll feel much better." She said giving the sniffling kitsune a hug.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Are you here?! Lord Sesshomaru!" The green kappa continued to call as he came into sight with Ah-Un following after him.

Rin took off towards Jaken at full speed. She scooped him up and hugged him until he began flailing his arms effectively dropping the scroll he was carrying and the Staff of Two Heads.

"Rin! What the…Put me down, you silly girl!" He squawked in indignation and she set him on his feet.

"I'm sorry, Master Jaken. I'm just really happy to see you." She said with a bright smile.

"Yes, well…" He dusted off his robes and picked up his staff, but the scroll was hard to manage so Rin did it for him.

"Don't mess that up. Lord Sesshomaru will have my head." Jaken said gulping thickly. "Where is he?"

Rin clutched the scroll to her chest and hid her face behind her bangs.

"He's gone, Master Jaken." She said sadly.

"Gone?! What do you mean gone?! Rin, you know better than to make up lies!" Jaken exclaimed indignantly.

"Cut it out. She ain't lying. Kagome's gone, too." InuYasha said coming to Rin's defense.

Jaken's mouth fell open as he looked from one person to another, hoping to find some falsehood in what the hanyou said, but the solemn facial expressions told him the worst had happened. He fell to his knees hiding his face in his sleeve and began to weep openly for his beloved Lord.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru. How you will be missed. May the spirit of your Great father lead you into the afterl…GAH!"

"He ain't dead, you idiot. Just missing." InuYasha growled as he put a little more pressure on his foot causing Jaken's head to sink further into the dirt.

InuYasha smelled Rin's tears and heard her sniffle right before she ran off into the woods. He lifted his foot off the melodramatic kappa's head and started after her. She didn't need to be alone. It wasn't safe.

"Now look what you've done." Shippo said heatedly.

"Why you little…" Jaken began shaking his fist.

"You made her cry, you…you…butthead!" Shippo floundered looking for the right word and everyone gasped.

Shippo didn't say another word. He bounded off after InuYasha and Rin. After a moment, Jaken hopped aboard Ah-Un and directed the dragon to follow. If Lord Sesshomaru was gone then he was Rin's only means of protection. He couldn't leave her under the inadequate protection of InuYasha.

InuYasha found Rin kneeling before the well. Her kimono was ripped in places where it had snagged on the branches as she ran and her shoulders were shaking so hard that her entire body quivered. He sat down behind her and looked towards the tree line.

"You alright?" He asked quietly and she sniffled in response.

"Look, I promise you I'll find the answers to this mystery and bring them both back." InuYasha continued.

Rin turned until she was sitting beside him. She wrapped her arms around his and rested her tear streaked face on his shoulder, the scroll lying in her lap.

"Thank you." She said then hiccupped.

"You're welcome." InuYasha said softly.

Shippo announced his presence rather loudly and Ah-Un wasn't much better. InuYasha pulled away from the distraught girl and stood. He motioned for her to follow and she did as she was told wiping her tear streaked face. He piled up the kids behind Jaken on the double-headed dragon's back and led the way back to the village. They needed to look at this scroll. Sesshomaru may have been a bastard, but he was not a complete idiot. He had inquired about Noriko and probably sent Jaken to the Western archives. This could prove to be invaluable information.

InuYasha felt his heart lighten a little bit, but he held it back. It wouldn't be a good idea to get all that excited. Totosai had said she disappeared after the forging of Tetsusaiga and at the time, his father had been having an affair with his mother. He didn't want to get his hopes too high in the event the histories reflected more about the Great and Terrible InuTaishio's indiscretion with a human woman opposed to some immortal Miko that used the serve his grandfather.

The trio behind him dismounted Ah-Un and Rin handed Miroku the scroll. Jaken made to protest, but Shippo lit his hands with his foxfire and shook his head. The kappa shut his mouth instantly. They all piled into the houshi's hut and sat around the fire pit.

"Alright, Miroku. Let's see what it says." InuYasha prompted and everyone held their breath as he began to untie it.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Lorelei evans, LoveInTheBattleFeild, & Silent Lyoness for their reviews. Also, a huge thanks to everyone reading and to CareSabe, SakurA-VioletA, & creamberriess for their follows.

It's the end of the school year for my babies. My daughter passed Kindergarten & my son is going to be a 3rd grader! I'm so proud of them!

My updates will be a little late this coming week because I promised my little graduates something special. Just don't want anyone thinking I've abandoned my story. I've still got several chapters written and ready to be posted when I get the time.

~scattered-dimensions~


	14. Chapter 14

"And here is Souta and Kagome dressed in traditional garb for the Lantern Festival. She was ten and Souta was five. We used to go every year, but when Kagome started her travels with InuYasha, it just didn't feel quite right without her." Akira explained pointing to a _photograph_ in a book.

He looked at the image of a small Kagome smiling widely with her arm wrapped around her younger brother's shoulders. She was missing a tooth in the front and it reminded him of Rin. He brushed the thought away.

"This is Kagome and Souta when they got their first bicycles. Kagome learned to ride hers right off the bat, but poor Souta had to keep his training wheels on until he was seven."

Sesshomaru didn't know what _training wheels_ were, but he had seen the Miko riding a bicycle in the beginning of his hunt for Naraku. Akira flipped the page.

"In this one, Kagome and Souta are playing in the pool we used to have in our backyard. There was a hole in it and no matter how many times I patched it up, it wouldn't hold water. We had to get rid of it. They were so sad."

Kagome was older in this photograph with her hair twisted up on her head showing a lot of skin. She was holding a multicolored ball and Souta was jumping off a ladder into the water. Sesshomaru averted his eyes. It was an inappropriate image to have of a young lady and he was not about to compromise Kagome's dignity. She had given him the same respect after all.

"This is Kagome on her graduation day. We were so proud of her. She worked so hard."

Sesshomaru's brow furrowed. He knew what the word meant, but was at a loss when it came to the term being used for an event and the image showed no clues towards an explanation. Akira noticed his confusion.

"Graduation is when a child completes their education. I understand in your time that only children from a wealthy family were educated. That's not the case here. It's mandatory that every single child regardless of social standing is given an opportunity to learn." She explained helpfully and turned the page.

Kagome's mother had been most helpful since Kagome left him at the doorstep in favor of hiding in her own bed chambers. Akira set about explaining every item of interest in their home and had told him a little about the sights he had seen going through town. He didn't understand half of it, but was pleased that she had taken time to help familiarize him with this strange world…unlike her daughter.

Souta had tried to get him to watch _tv_ after the evening meal, but Akira interjected with a stack of _photo albums_. She explained anything he seemed confused about and it was a relief that he didn't have to degrade himself to ask for clarification on every little peculiar thing. She was very intuitive and her company was not as repugnant as he expected.

"This is Kagome with her father. Souta hadn't been born yet."

He heard the sorrow in the woman's voice and took a long look at the man in the shiny portrait. Kagome was perched on his shoulders, no more than four, with her hands sunk into her father's hair. They both wore huge smiles. Kagome looked like she was laughing. It was this man that Kagome took after. This was the source of her blue eyes.

He heard footsteps on the stairs, but ignored them in favor of the next photo. It was Kagome with InuYasha. They were sitting at the kitchen table, InuYasha had his arm draped around Kagome's shoulders smiling and her face was stained with a blush. The album shut at the hands of Akira and the woman stood.

"Kagome, how are you feeling? Souta said you were sick." Akira asked concerned.

"I'm okay now. I guess I didn't get enough sleep." Kagome said locking her eyes on his.

He felt that odd rhythm in his chest again and scowled.

"Mom, can we have a minute?" Kagome asked turning her attention back to the woman in front of her.

"Sure, honey. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. It was good talking with you, Sesshomaru-sama." Akira said to him with a bow.

Kagome watched her mother go with wide eyes. It almost made Sesshomaru smile…almost. In actuality, he hadn't said more than two words throughout the entire evening, but she didn't know that. Kagome looked back at him and shook her head. She sat a considerable distance away from him on the _couch_ staring out the window set on the opposite wall.

He studied her while he waited for her to compose her thoughts. Kagome had bathed. Her hair was still wet and her clothes had been changed. He still thought her attire to be indecent considering the amount of leg she was showing, but her mother had said it to be perfectly acceptable in this time.

She was every ounce the girl that he saw in the photos and then some. It was amazing how much her mother had captured of this girl's personality. She had grown considerably, of course, and that is what interested him.

Would this be what he would have to look forward to with Rin? His ward was already changing. It seemed like every time he turned around she had grown another inch, her hair had gotten longer, or her face was losing its chubbiness. The changes didn't sit well with him. It was happening too fast.

Kagome adjusted the white knee length stockings on her legs and flexed her toes in the plush rug at their feet clearing her throat at the same time. Her eyes were fixated on the night sky outside the window when she spoke.

"I want to apologize for my rudeness earlier. I should have explained things in town and I shouldn't have run off like that when we got here. It won't happen again." She said quietly and he could hear the sincerity in her words.

"Hn." Was all he gave her and she sighed.

He was upset with her. She had disrespected him in the hospital and again when they arrived at her home. He had hoped that Kagome would explain her world, but her mother had done it in her stead. Kagome's actions were erratic and insulting. He owed her a debt and that was the only thing that kept him from picking her up by her slender throat and tossing her halfway across the room.

"I suppose I need to make sleeping arrangements for you. I thought you could take my room. I've changed the sheets and blankets on the bed. I'll take the couch. I doubt you'd find it very comfortable anyway." She said rising to her feet.

Sesshomaru followed her up the stairs and through a door at the end of the hall. The room was small with a window by the bed. He now knew what the _lamp_ was on the table by the bedside and was pleased to see that her bed was the same western style he was accustomed to, if not a little small. There was a desk directly across the room from the bed and the other wall held a set of doors. His eyes widened by a small fraction.

"I scrubbed them out in the sink during dinner. I tried to get all the blood off of them. They're still a little wet, but they should be wearable in the morning. I'll leave you to get comfortable." Kagome said exiting the room shutting the door behind her.

Sesshomaru walked up to the hanging garments and ran his fingers over the damp silk of his haori. He picked up a sleeve and inspected it for stains. He was surprised to not find any. She must have really worked hard to get the dried fluid out of the material. He looked down to find his armor glistening in the artificial lighting of the room and his swords propped up against the doorframe beside it. She had polished them as well.

He felt a twinge of gratitude sink into his being and turned towards the bed. He pulled the covers down and looked about for the _light switch_ that Akira had taught him about. He found it beside the door and flicked it off washing the room in moonlight. He disrobed quickly, folding each borrowed garment and placed them on the bedside table.

He crawled into bed wrapped in the comfort of his pelt and buried his nose in the pillow. It smelled like her. His last thought of consciousness was of Kagome's blushing face in the photo.

* * *

"So, my grandfather gave her his youki? How would something like that even be possible without her becoming a half demon?" InuYasha asked astounded.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's a part of some ability Lord Masahiro had." Miroku offered.

"I know." A small voice said from the corner behind the group.

Everyone turned expectant eyes on Rin. She sat up straighter and cleared her throat, but before she could speak Jaken stood up.

"What do you know, girl? We're not going to rest Lord Sesshomaru's return on some childish imagining." He chastised.

Rin's shoulders fell and so did Jaken, face first into the wooden floor with InuYasha's fist buried in the back of his head.

"Go ahead, Rin. We're all ears." The hanyou said with a nod and she smiled.

"If the demon is really powerful, they can transfer their youki into another being that is also powerful, but it usually takes many years off of their expected lifespan and weakens them for a long period of time. It's rarely ever done and I've never read about the joining happening with a priestess or any mortal for that matter. In this case, Lord Masahiro was dying and gave the last bit of his power to Noriko earning her respect among the Western Lands." She explained.

"Wow, Rin. Where did you learn all of that?" Sango asked astonished at the girl's knowledge.

"Lord Sesshomaru lets me read in his study while he does his paperwork." The girl replied beaming brightly.

"Only because you annoy him with your constant chatter." Jaken huffed after wiggling free from InuYasha.

"It appears that Noriko wasn't always this sinister. She did have good intentions in the beginning. There's nothing but praise in this scroll. Her accomplishments were more profound then I had imagined. It says here that she successfully negotiated sixty-four treaties within the Western Lands and forty-one outside of the Western borders." Miroku said looking over the parchment again.

"What does it say about the time that my old man ruled?" InuYasha asked.

"Hmm, not much. There's only one village that still held true to their alliance with the West after the war with the North was over. The battles pretty much scared off most humans. There were a lot of lives lost on both sides. It says she stayed on as Lord InuTaishio's personal advisor, but there's no further information after that. It just ends." Miroku replied with a furrowed brow.

"Shit." InuYasha cursed and shoved his hands into his sleeves, Tetsusaiga resting against his shoulder.

"There's more about the transference of power I just remembered." Rin piped up. "There's usually a mark placed on the recipient, a scar or something like that. Since Noriko is human, it should be fairly visible."

"Tell me this, kid. How come she's not a half-demon? I mean he did give her an unnaturally long life." InuYasha asked musingly.

"Lord Masahiro didn't transfer his soul to her just the remainder of his youki. She remained human with extra abilities." Rin answered happy with the attention.

"Right. Looks like I'm going to see the old tree after all. First thing's first. Rin, this mark thing, you know what to look for?" InuYasha asked and Rin nodded. "Good. Come with me."

InuYasha stood and slipped Tetsusaiga into place at his side. He held the covering open for Rin, but before they could leave Jaken stood up with a look of pure indignation on his face.

"You're not taking Rin anywhere without me, you dirty half-breed." The toad squawked running for the door.

InuYasha narrowed his eyes at the kappa.

"Shippo." He said evenly and the kit sprung from his spot tackling Jaken to the ground.

InuYasha slipped out smiling at the ruckus coming from inside the hut.

"Let me…Stop…"

"I'll show you dirty half-breed!"

THUNK! THWACK!

"Owww…"

InuYasha knocked on Kaede's doorframe respectfully keeping himself between the door and Rin. He heard a cough from inside and shuffling. The scent of Rin's nervousness permeated the air around him.

"Don't worry about a thing, kid. The wench tries anything, she's toast." He said over his shoulder.

The covering was pulled back revealing Kaede wrapped in a shawl wearing her sleeping yukata. InuYasha missed the blush on Rin's cheeks and the small smile she gave in response to his words.

"Come in out of the cold." Kaede said waving them inside. "What brings ye both to visit in the middle of the night?"

"We need to look at the wench." InuYasha explained gruffly.

Kaede's eye widened and she looked to Rin for conformation.

"Jaken brought a scroll from the Western archives telling about how Noriko gained so much power. Lord Masahiro transferred his youki to her as a gift. We need to find the mark it left behind." The girl explained further keeping her voice low.

"I see and where would this mark be?" Kaede asked looking back to InuYasha.

"I'm not sure." Rin answered lowering her head.

"Well, InuYasha, if you'll give us some privacy…" Kaede started, but he cut her off.

"Keh, not happening. I don't like you being around her unguarded, you stubborn old hag, much less Rin. I'm stayin' put." He said forcefully and Kaede shook her head.

"As ye wish. I'll hold up a blanket for her modesty. Ye will have to undo her dressings, child." Kaede said grabbing a spare blanket from her supply shelf.

The entire process took what seemed like hours to the impatient hanyou, but when happiness flooded Rin's scent, he felt the anticipation shoot through the roof. He was nearly bouncing on his heels when she walked around the elder Miko.

"Well?" He asked feeling like he would explode.

"I found a mark. It's on her left wrist." The girl said with a smile.

InuYasha wanted to hug her. This was the first breakthrough since Kagome went missing.

"That's not all. There were three more marks, two on her right arm and one on her left shoulder." Rin continued.

"What does that mean?" InuYasha asked feeling his insides churn from the plummet back to reality.

"It means that she had not just taken the power of Lord Masahiro, but of three others." Kaede said rejoining the group.

"Do you know who they were?" InuYasha asked knowing it was a long shot.

"Foolish mutt. That girl doesn't know. The ones who fueled my power are dead and they were so far from home." Noriko cackled menacingly.

InuYasha's head snapped in the dark Miko's direction and his knuckles cracked in warning.

"Oi, wench, shut your hole. No one asked you." He growled.

"You should have seen the look on Sesshomaru's face when my power hit him…priceless." Noriko hissed back.

InuYasha's traitorous mind replayed the screams of pain from Kagome and his brother. He took a purposeful step towards the futon, his lip curling up over his fangs, and a low growl rumbling from his chest.

"No, InuYasha. You cannot. It is what she wants." Kaede pleaded with no affect.

The scent of Rin's tears stopped him dead in his tracks. His hands fell to his sides and his growling ceased immediately.

"Whatever. She not worth my damn time anyway. Let's go, kid. I'm sending Kirara up here. She's going to be with you at all times, Kaede." InuYasha said in a tone that brooked no argument.

Rin wiped her face and waved her goodbyes following InuYasha out of the hut. He waited for her to catch up and they walked back to Sango and Miroku's in silence.

They entered finding Jaken gagged and trussed in the corner of the main room with Shippo standing guard, his chest puffed out and his arms crossed looking pretty proud of himself.

"Oh, Master Jaken. You really shouldn't call people names. It's not nice." Rin admonished coming to the kappa's rescue.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Sango asked rocking Kaori while the tiny baby yawned sleepily. Apparently the tussle had awoken her.

"She had four marks." Rin answered in his stead.

"Four? Does that mean she…" Sango trailed off her eyes wide.

Rin nodded in affirmation as she untied the last knot in the ropes wrapped around Jaken.

"That's it! You're going back to the West! Lord Sesshomaru would have my head if you were harmed in this wild goose chase!" Jaken fussed the moment his gag fell away.

He grabbed Rin's sleeve and his staff pulling her towards the door.

"But Master Jaken…" Rin protested.

"No buts, Rin. We're leaving." He asserted ignoring her appeal.

InuYasha stomped forward and jerked the toad up by the front of his robes.

"If she wants to stay, she stays." InuYasha snarled.

There was a collective gasp from everyone present at the surprising display of protectiveness. Jaken gulped then mustered his courage.

"Then so am I." He squeaked.

InuYasha dropped him and mumbled something under his breath about sending Kirara to Kaede's. He could feel everyone's eyes on his back as he left. He made it halfway to his hut before he heard the sound of running feet behind him. He stopped and turned watching Rin gain on him.

"Thank you, InuYasha." She said with a genuine smile when she reached him.

"Toad's got a mouth on him. I don't like it." He replied turning away.

"True, but he means well." Rin said.

"Wait for me!" Shippo yelled from behind them.

He jumped up on InuYasha's shoulder and the trio continued on towards the hut they shared for the time being.

"Good job in there, Shippo." InuYasha said remembering Jaken's yells from earlier.

"Nobody talks about you but me." Shippo said smugly.

"Hey, ya runt!" InuYasha exclaimed balling up his fist.

Rin giggled.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Miss Undo, Silent Lyoness, LoveInTheBattleField, GiggleboxGirlie, & creamberries for their reviews.

Also to Miss Undo, PunkAss739, Sailor Wolf4, The Black Wolf Queen, FluffyLover7, Evelyn Lucia, LadySakurraa, & ash and fire for their faves & follows.

As always I appreciate all the readers. I'll be posting more soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	15. Chapter 15

Kagome had never gotten her driver's license, so that left her with the only option of public transportation. She wasn't about to let Sesshomaru walk on his knee any more than necessary and they needed to hit the books. There had to be some way to get back through the well and the library was the best option.

She was proud of Sesshomaru. Not only did he leave his swords and armor at her house, he only sneered a total of four times. He was wearing his usual attire and pelt, causing him to stick out like a sore thumb, but most rubberneckers distanced themselves when they met his challenging stare. It made for a very uneventful trip. No one got in their way and no one bothered her about spare change. It was kind of nice.

She held the library's glass entrance door open for Sesshomaru and had to bite her tongue when he walked straight inside without even acknowledging her. She wasn't a servant. She just squared her shoulders and rummaged around in her purse for her library card. Sesshomaru followed her through the rows of books, his eyes studying the various spines.

She stopped at the mythology section and he quirked an eyebrow at her.

"In this time demons are regarded as myths, remember." She whispered.

Sesshomaru's jaw set, but he didn't comment. She pulled out several old books on the Sengoku jidai slightly peeved that Sesshomaru didn't try to help carry anything. She was doing this for his pampered butt, too.

She lugged her load to an empty table and glared at a couple who were unabashedly snickering at Sesshomaru. Their mouths snapped shut and they vacated their seats promptly. Kagome sat down with a smile. InuYasha always said she was scary. Her face fell and tears threatened to come out and play.

She pulled the first volume towards her as Sesshomaru seated himself across the table from her picking up a book of his own. Well, at least she wouldn't have to do this part by herself. She buried her nose in the musty, yellowed pages and let the words wash away any thoughts of the friends she left behind.

"Miko, this Sesshomaru has found something of interest." He said at normal volume.

She shushed him gaining an icy glare.

"It's against the rules to be loud in a library, Sesshomaru." She whispered back and he pushed the open book towards her.

He tapped the page with a clawed finger irritatedly indicating the paragraph he wanted her to start on.

She read the selection to herself. After she was finished she leaned back in her chair, both hands resting flat against the table just staring down at the book.

The entry had been about kyokotsu, a skeletal figure that emerges from wells to exact revenge on the one who had killed or trapped it.

So, not only was she pulled into the past by Mistress Centipede's desecrated corpse because of the Shikon no tama embedded in her body, but because she was Kikyou's reincarnation as well. Kaede had said that Kikyou had been the one to slay the demon and dump her remains in the Bone Eater's well.

In truth, the only reason she had ever been in the past to begin with had been because of Kikyou, not the Sacred Jewel and her connection to InuYasha was…

She cut her eyes across the table to the stoic Taiyoukai who was fervently reading another book.

What was the purpose of giving her this particular piece of folklore? Kagome pushed her bangs behind her ears and sat up straighter in her seat. It didn't matter. She and InuYasha were friends, best friends. Nothing was going to change that. What did it matter how she came to be in the Feudal era? All that mattered now was finding a way back so she could continue the life she had been building.

The remaining few hours they spent at the library had been wrapped in complete and utter silence. He didn't pass any more books to her and she kept her thoughts to herself. When the lines started blurring together, Kagome announced that they were leaving. Sesshomaru looked reluctant to go, like he had actually enjoyed himself.

_'Pfft, Sesshomaru enjoying something other than maiming or killing someone, yeah right.'_

He looked at her with a curious expression when she busted out in a fit of uncontrollable giggles at the thought. Even the librarian was a little stand offish because of her behavior or maybe it was because of the tall demon Lord she had following her around.

She checked out all the books they had been looking at, plus a few more that she had caught Sesshomaru pawing over and left. Naturally, he didn't offer one iota of help.

Sesshomaru followed her looking around him. His body tensed every time a car would zoom past. She caught his hand flicker to his side where his swords normally rested twice and had pity on him. She dropped back to walk beside him putting herself between the street and the nervous inu. It didn't seem to help much, but his arm did stay stationary.

"You hungry?" She asked trying to avert his attention and he pondered her question frowning.

"Yes." He said finally and Kagome scoured the many shop windows they were approaching until her saving grace came into view.

"We could go to WacDnalds." She offered hopefully.

He regarded her with a sidelong glance before returning his eyes to the front. She shrugged and continued to steer him to her favorite fast-food chain. She didn't really know if he would like it or not, but there was a first time for everything. She chalked it up to trial and error. It wasn't like he was very forthcoming about his preferences and she deserved a treat for lugging around their research.

The restaurant was bustling as usual, but their entrance caused a wave of swiveling necks and a level of stunned silence that Kagome swore was unnatural. She looked up to Sesshomaru who just appeared to be bored. She took her place at the end of the line with him by her side. The lady in front of her grabbed her son's hand and left giving Kagome a hateful look on her way out.

Kagome ignored the woman's discriminate actions, but it only focused her attention on all the hushed whispers and pointing fingers. She looked around at everyone staring and met their eyes confidently. She wasn't ashamed to be in the company of Sesshomaru. He was no different than any of them outside of appearances. Well, maybe not, but the point was she wasn't going anywhere and they were being insanely rude. Seriously people, get a life.

Instead, she directed her eyes to the menu board. She knew what she wanted, but Sesshomaru was a complete mystery.

"Do you see anything you want?" She asked him.

"This Sesshomaru leaves it to your discretion, Miko." He said.

_'Alrighty, think dog. Hmm…'_ She thought tapping the hardbound books with her thumb.

After receiving their food, Kagome filled their drinks and chose a table in the very back of the restaurant away from the windows and the crowd to give Sesshomaru a moderate level of comfort. It was a bit of a juggle to get there, but luckily there were no spills. She sorted their food and left Sesshomaru to his own perusal of the double bacon cheeseburger she had placed in front of him.

Kagome picked her single cheeseburger up and took a bite watching as Sesshomaru lifted the top bun with his thumb and forefinger to inspect the meat. He frowned deeply and replaced the bread. His actions didn't bother her in the least. He had the right to be critical of what he ate. She picked up a french fry and dipped it ketchup before taking a bite of the greasy potato sliver.

He picked up one of his own and sniffed it. She almost choked on the food she had in her mouth, but waved him off trying to compose herself when he raised an inquiring eyebrow. She took a sip of her tea while he experimentally bit the fry. It was so weird to see him eating fast food. He looked out of place, yes, but to her it was because of his regalia. It was like he was too good to be eating common place food with his fingers and he probably was.

She felt guilt well up in her chest again. She was being inconsiderate. She should have taken him to a fancier restaurant. He'd probably enj…

Kagome's mouth dropped open.

Sesshomaru was dipping the french fries in ketchup just she had done and was eating them with an uncharacteristic eagerness. He still looked prim and proper doing it, chewing with his mouth closed and waiting until he swallow before following it with another bite. He brushed his hair over his shoulder casually when it skirted the table, his elbows nowhere in sight, and his posture impeccable.

She closed her mouth and picked up her cheeseburger. His eyes snapped to her and he seemed to be assessing her actions. She felt self-conscious under the scrutiny and averted her eyes to the table. She heard the crinkle of his burger's wrapper and looked up in time to see Sesshomaru take a modest bite of his bacon cheeseburger.

Kagome's chewing slowed as his fangs flashed into view for just a moment before he closed his lips around the bread and she noticed for the first time just how soft they looked. Her face flamed and she looked down again kicking herself for having such thoughts. She ate the rest of the meal with her nose buried in a book to keep her treacherous mind focused on something other than Sesshomaru and his lips.

She was busy piling their trash on a tray when someone walked up to their table. She saw Sesshomaru go rigid out of the corner of her eye.

"Higarashi?" The familiar voice asked as if questioning her very existence.

She looked up at Hojo and smiled politely. She was more than aware of the way Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at her, but she didn't understand why and she wasn't too sure she wanted to.

"Hojo, hi." She said moving faster than was necessary to clear the table.

"I didn't know you were back in town. You're mom told me you were visiting your aunt." He said cordially and Kagome laughed nervously.

"Well, I'm back for a little while." She said having flashbacks to her middle school years.

"That's great. I was wondering if you were free Saturday. You know, I never did get a chance to take you out back in school. It would give us a chance to reconnect." He said with a good natured laugh.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed into slits and she found herself laughing right along with Hojo sounding a little hysterical.

"Saturday? Um, I'll have to check my schedule and see…" She started after she got a grip.

"I'm not taking no for an answer. I'll pick you up at six, sound good?" Hojo interrupted placing his hand on her arm affectionately.

Kagome was astounded that the flesh of her face hadn't melted off from the intensity of Sesshomaru's glare. She took a deep breath and forced a smile.

She was about to respond with a plausible excuse for being busy Saturday, and every day after that, but Sesshomaru stood abruptly and turned on his heel walking away. Kagome's face fell at the unexpected action and she scrambled to stack the books she'd checked out from the library.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. Were you two…What I mean…Is he your…boyfriend?" Hojo floundered removing his hand, sounding crushed.

Kagome pulled the books into her arms and slung her purse over her shoulder abandoning the tray of garbage on the table and started for the door. Sesshomaru had already left and she had no idea which way he went.

"It was good to see you, Hojo." She called over the din of the crowd as she used her back to open the door hissing in pain as she did so.

She rolled off the handle and took a quick look around the sidewalk trying to spot Sesshomaru through the throng of people walking by. She caught a glimpse of silver to her right and took off after it. She dodged people trying to get past them to catch up to the Taiyoukai. He wasn't waiting for her and her steps were hindered drastically by the weight in her arms.

"Excuse me… I'm sorry…Sesshomaru wait!" She yelled in a last ditch effort to gain his attention while trying to battle opposing traffic.

He didn't seem to hear her or was simply ignoring her. With him she could never tell, but it gave her the incentive to work that much harder to reach him. By the time she did, her breathing was labored and her arms felt like gelatin. She had to keep readjusting the grip she had on the books because of the pull they caused on her throbbing back.

He didn't even look at her, just kept walking. She didn't say anything and followed. He led them directly to the subway, but before he walked down the steps to the platform he wheeled on her, anger displayed openly and she took a cautious step back.

"Explain yourself, Miko." He spat and Kagome's brain spaced not knowing what in the world he was talking about.

"W-What do you mean?" She stuttered confused by his sudden mood change.

"Are you as openly affectionate with every male you encounter? What about InuYasha?" He asked coldly, his eyes narrowing again and she felt the sizzle rolling off of them in waves.

"Hojo's just a friend." She answered truthfully wondering what InuYasha had to do with this.

Sure Hojo wanted to be more than that, but she had no intentions whatsoever of letting that happen. He was a nice guy, just not for her.

Sesshomaru visibly sneered at her explanation. He rose to his full height and stalked away, if you could call it that. Everything he did was so controlled and precise. The only way she could tell that he was angry, outside of his vehement interrogation, was the length of his already long strides. She had to really push her legs to keep up with him.

He paused outside the entrance booth, the muscles in his jaw jumping, and his eyes looking up and away from her. All in all he looked incredibly perturbed. She shifted the books awkwardly to one arm and pulled the flap of her purse up to fish out some change. When she deposited it, he blazed straight through the carousel leaving her behind. It was almost as if he was purposely trying to lose her.

_'He wouldn't do that…would he?'_

She searched frantically for more change and pressed it into the slot quickly. The bars clicked loudly as she pushed through them and she found herself battling yet another crowd to catch up to him.

Someone clipped the oversized books in her arms, upsetting her balance sending them and herself sprawling on the floor. She let out a muffled yelp of pain through clenched teeth. Of course no one stopped to help and whoever the culprit may have been kept walking without an apology. It was times like these that she missed the Sengoku jidai the most.

She rose to her knees and crawled around collecting the scattered volumes thankful that she had chosen to wear jeans today. When she finally had them all and stood back up, she saw Sesshomaru get on a train.

_'He wouldn't.' _

Kagome knocked several innocent people out of her way trying to get to him before the doors closed.

"Sesshomaru!" He didn't even glance her way.

She was almost there, but the hydraulic doors slid shut and the train began to roll. She stood there gaping after the retreating rail car surrounded by several upset bystanders.

_'He did.'_

She had just been separated from Sesshomaru; an angry Sesshomaru; an angry, confusing Sesshomaru; an angry, confusing, and completely clueless Sesshomaru. Oh, Kami!

This was not good. Not good at all. What if he got lost? He wasn't wearing a coat. He could wind up back in the hospital again or worse. The streets were no place to be after dark and he no longer had his youki, which was a blessing and a curse. What about his knee?

She needed to find him and fast. She hopped the next available train. Kagome sent up a prayer to whatever Kami that was listening for his safety and guidance for herself. She threw in a heavy dose of patience for them both just for good measure.

During the ride, her worry was overshadowed by her growing anger. How could he just take off like that? She should have expected it. It's not like he had much of a personality to begin with and everything annoyed him it seemed like. What was his deal? Why was InuYasha a sudden concern and why was he so mad at her? Kagome huffed to herself over the conundrum of the manic youkai.

She had spent the day with him in mostly nonconfrontational silence, something he appeared to be comfortable with, had kept her mouth shut when she was arguably insulted, had searched for a way to get him home and how does he repay her? The moment an old friend of hers shows up, he flips out and pulls a Houdini. Was he jealous? No, that was just absurd.

The train stopped and she exited with the flow of the other passengers. That terrible anxiety settled in the pit of her stomach again washing away her irritation. She didn't see Sesshomaru anywhere. She whimpered girlishly and set off towards the Shrine hoping to catch up to him along the way.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Miss Undo, LoveInTheBattleField, creamberries, LadyAlma, HalfBlackWolfDemon, & Lorelei evans for their reviews and encouraging words.

Also, a round of thank you's to HalfBlackWolfDemon, Xognadora, & aespenny for their faves and follow.

Just want to let all the readers out there know...

I appreciate every single one of you.

~scattered-dimensions~


	16. Chapter 16

"Shippo, let go!" InuYasha yelled to the kitsune wrapped securely around his calf.

He shook his leg trying to dislodge the little fox, but his grip held firm.

"No…I…told…you…I'm…go…ing…" Shippo replied his voice bouncing to the tempo of InuYasha's leg.

InuYasha abandoned his efforts in favor of trying to pry him off by his tail. Shippo turned his head and sunk is teeth into the fleshy web between his thumb and forefinger. InuYasha jerked his hand away inspecting the injury.

"Why you…" His fist made sound contact with the top of Shippo's head, but the kit didn't budge an inch.

Shippo buried his face in the fire rat hakama leg and sniffled.

"I'm going and you can't stop me. I hung onto Kouga's tail when he kidnapped Kagome and I can hang on to you, too. I won't let go. I won't." Shippo said his voice muffled, but InuYasha could hear the pain in it, a pain that didn't stem from a bump on the head.

"Shippo, I've told you already. It's too dangerous." InuYasha said with finality crossing his arms as if to drive the point home.

"I'm strong enough." Shippo choked out, his little body vibrating from his sobs.

Miroku knelt to the upset kit's level and patted his back comfortingly.

"No one's contesting that fact, Shippo, but InuYasha is right." He said with a soft smile.

"No, he's not. Kagome's my mo…I'm going." Shippo amended his statement towards the end and Miroku sighed knowingly.

"The best thing you can do for Kagome right now is to stay clear of danger." Miroku said in his best paternal softness, but Shippo wasn't buying it.

"I'm going." He repeated his voice strong and clear.

Miroku stood up causing the rings on his staff to jingle and turned towards Sango with imploring eyes. The tajiya stepped up and handed the baby off to her father before kneeling next to InuYasha's kitsune ladened leg.

"We could use your help here in the village while InuYasha's away." She tried with a smile.

"Yeah right. There isn't going to be an attack, because InuYasha scared them all off. Demons know better than to come here." Shippo argued.

"What about the horde when…" Sango trailed off not wanting to say the words.

"That was because of that woman. It doesn't matter what any of you say, I'm going to do my part to get Kagome back." Shippo announced and InuYasha balled up his fist again ready to put his original plan into motion.

He felt small hands go around his elbow holding him back and looked down into the chestnut eyes of Rin.

"Please, InuYasha let him go with you. If anything, he could help protect us." She pleaded causing InuYasha's resolve to falter.

He pulled his arm free and crossed them over his chest.

"Keh, what do you mean us?" He asked not liking where this was going.

"Master Jaken and I were talking. Since we are in Lord Sesshomaru's service, it's only proper that we accompany you in your quest." She explained knowing InuYasha was less than ecstatic about it from the look on his face.

"You mean Jaken refused to leave his Lord's fate in the hands of a filthy half-breed?" InuYasha corrected sarcastically.

He watched Rin's face flush clean to her neck. She turned away from him and gave a slight nod of her head in confirmation.

"I can't let him go on his own, InuYasha. Something could happen to Master Jaken…like Lord Sesshomaru." She said softly and InuYasha growled in frustration throwing his hands in the air.

"Fine. You two can go, but you slow me down even a little bit, your taking that dragon straight back here. Got it?" He said forcefully.

Shippo jumped off of his leg and hopped into Rin's arms hugging her with crushing enthusiasm. InuYasha turned his back on the young girl when she smiled up at him. He'd been doing just fine until she showed up.

"You got five minutes to pack your shit. Daylight's wasting." He said marching off to Kaede's hut.

* * *

"InuYasha, would ye like to sit?" Kaede asked thoughtfully when InuYasha entered her hut.

"Nah, I'm going to be leaving here in a little bit." He said with a wave of his hand.

"In that case, I have something for ye." Kaede said rising slowly to her feet.

She walked over to her supply shelf and InuYasha stooped to scratch Kirara behind her ears.

"If you see Shika, tell her to get her ass back home, 'cuz Kagome's going to be real upset when she gets back to find her missing." InuYasha told her quietly and the neko mewed her understanding.

Kaede appeared before him with a simple linen bag that had the scent of herbs wafting heavily from it. He stood and took the gift from her with a small smile. It was a scent he had learned to enjoy. The healing herbs were bitter, but it had been his saving grace more times than he dared to count. More than that, it was a scent that was imbued on this woman, the little sister of his first love. He owed her so much, but words were never his strong suit.

"Ye may need those. Be careful, InuYasha." She said wisely and InuYasha's face fell.

Why did it sound like she was saying sound like she was saying so much more than goodbye? He inhaled again and grimaced at the scent saturating the air around the old Miko.

"Kaede, I've been meaning to ask you…" He started, but paused not sure how to proceed.

"Yes?" She urged.

"Are you okay?" He asked feeling dumb when her brow furrowed.

"I am as well as to be expected." She answered like always, but there was something hidden in her words and it was eating at him.

"Kaede, are you sick?" He blurted lowering his head and fingering the bag in his hands.

He heard her sigh and looked up in time to see the saddened look on her face. His heart plummeted into his gut.

"I am and have been for some time." She answered honestly.

"Isn't there something we can do?" He asked almost piteously so, but Kaede shook her head.

"No, InuYasha. I am an old woman. It is but a natural part of life." She explained giving him a reassuring smile.

"InuYasha! We're ready!" Shippo called from outside and he turned to look at the covered door completely torn.

"Ye have a mission to complete." Kaede said laying a wrinkled hand on his shoulder.

He looked down at her hunched form and thought back to fifty five years ago when she had only been a child. Her hair had been the color of Kikyou's and she had just begun to dabble in the art of healing, her scent innocent with a small trace of the herbs he held in his hands. Now, it was all different and he had slept through her entire life.

It was Kaede that pushed Kagome and him to work together. It was Kaede who offered him refuge even after all he had done. It was Kaede that had fueled his hope during Kagome's absence. She was also the only other person to understand his relationship with Kikyou outside of Kagome. Words simply could not express what that meant to someone like him.

"Yeah…yeah, you're right. Listen up, you old hag, you better not go any damn where before I get back." He exclaimed with none of his usual crassness.

"I will do my very best." She replied with a small smile.

InuYasha nodded in satisfaction and tied the bag to his belt beside Tetsusaiga. He took one last look around the hut, his eyes coming to rest on the slumbering dark priestess. He bared his fangs feeling the anger rise within him fueling his determination and left the hut. He met the eyes of the ragtag group that was waiting on him.

He walked straight up to Rin lifting her by the waist. She giggled as he sat her on Ah-Un's back. He checked the bags attached to the dragon and secured the ones that were too loose before patting one of the beasts' necks.

"Hop up, Shippo. We've got to fly to make up for lost time." He ordered slapping the saddle beside the girl.

Shippo did as he was told and Jaken scrambled his way up on the dragon's back holding the reigns. InuYasha turned to Sango and Miroku.

"Keep safe and make sure that witch doesn't try anything." He told them authoritatively.

"Absolutely." Miroku said and Sango nodded.

"Uncle InuYasha!" Two tiny voices exclaimed in unison.

The twins crashed into his legs trying to squeeze them off below the kneecaps. He patted them both on the head and they disentangled themselves looking up at him with dewy eyes.

"Alright, runts. I'm going to get answers to bring back your Aunt Kagome. You two better take care of your old man and your mom 'til I get back, got it?" He ordered and they nodded in unison, their faces completely serious.

He took off at a run towards the West and Ah-Un took flight with his cargo safely aboard. InuYasha pushed himself harder than he had in a long time. He'd never felt the waning of time so deeply. He needed Kagome back now more than ever. They were losing Kaede and he wouldn't let that happen if he could help it. He needed all of his family.

* * *

Sesshomaru had exited the train and was lucky enough to not be assaulted by a crowd. He thought to return to the Shrine, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He was angry, frustrated, and above all else, sick of this world. He longed for home.

He held up the clawed hand that had been regrown with Bakusaiga in its grip as the images of all the faces staring and laughing at his expense flowed to mind. None of those fools knew what that was like, to feel raw power that came from one's self alone. He was a great Taiyoukai trapped in a mortal body walking amongst humans and it disgusted him.

Kagome's comment about demon's being nothing but myths had gotten to him in the worst way earlier. To him it just seemed impossible. She was a powerful priestess, but if she wasn't trained how could he take her word on such a serious matter. Instead of trying to find a way back through the well, which was more her expertise then his, he'd searched for proof of her words finding none, but nothing that discounted them either.

He knew better than most that myths and legends were based on facts. He'd lived for almost six hundred years after all and had witnessed the changes in the world first hand. He'd heard the stories and songs of his father's time fade into new ones with every generation.

He looked around the darkening foreign streets, the fading sunlight casting long, inky shadows. Cars whizzed by and he felt an intense anxiety wash over him each time. It was hard to accept that these metal contraptions were benign, non-living creatures. His eyes drifted up to the tops of the enormous buildings. Where was all the beauty of the world he knew? This was all wrong.

It was an undeniable fact that humans had evolved greatly in 500 years, but their sensibilities were just as callow and discriminate as they had always been. He had not missed one look, one single laugh, or pointing finger directed his way. Kagome had silently stood in his defense with her piercing looks and part of him was grateful, but another deeper part was appalled and insulted that a tiny human Miko was doing something that he should have done for himself. This feeling is what fueled his anger.

He owed her a debt for saving his life, even if it was her fault for him being here in the first place, and he had taken her into consideration by staying his hand against each one of those sniveling morons which fanned the flames that much more.

He could admit that the library had been pleasant and the food she'd chosen for him had been tasty though different. He didn't think he would ever get used to eating cooked meat and hoped he would never have to, but the meal had been amicable enough until the whelp showed up.

He couldn't think of the boy's name and didn't care to exhaust his memory on it. It was exasperating beyond belief to not be able to sense the boy's intentions or those of the Miko and even more so because he couldn't figure out why it mattered at all. Still, the more she smiled the angrier he got. He couldn't get her laughter out of his mind.

He told himself it was because she belonged to another, one that shared the blood of his father. Betrayal had never been something he dealt with well, but when the male touched her arm; he felt his carefully practiced patience splinter into a million miniscule pieces.

He couldn't stand to be around her anymore and the harder he tried to get away from her, the harder she fought to reach him. It took every ounce of his willpower not to just shove her away, especially after her dumbfounded responses to his questions, but when they were separated the final time, he'd felt a warm sense of relief, though his emotions hadn't receded.

It had been his way to just walk about his lands to calm himself and thought this to be his best remedy, but it was a useless cause. Nothing looked familiar and Kagome's words flowed to his mind. This was not the world he knew, but that didn't mean he was going to tuck tail and run back to the sanctity of a human home.

He caught the eye of a small child who favored Rin from a distance and felt the tension in his chest return just like it did every time he thought of his ward. He missed her terribly. The girl's mother gasped and ushered her further down the sidewalk at a hurried pace. Sesshomaru growled under his breath and went the opposite way. His feet took him to a darker part of town.

He stopped beside a fenced in area that had play equipment for children in it. Akira had said it was a park. He let his mind drift to Rin hoping that even through the pain of their separation; her memory would calm him like she always did. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the multiple footsteps come up behind him until the first person spoke.

"Look what we have here, fellas. A freak in fur." A gravelly voice mocked and there was a round of laughter that grated on Sesshomaru's last nerve.

He turned and faced six rough looking individuals. He didn't need heightened senses to tell their intent or the fact that they hadn't bathed in some time. He wrinkled his nose in revulsion.

"What's the matter freakzilla? Did I hurt your girly feelings?" The first man asked gaining another round of laughter from his cohorts.

Sesshomaru lifted his hand and cracked his knuckles. A smile formed on his lips.

* * *

"Mom! Mom, are you home?!" Kagome called as she ran through her front door.

She was winded and her back was hurting, but her concern for Sesshomaru was greater. Kagome let the stack of books fall with a loud bang to the floor at her feet and rushed into the kitchen hoping to find her mother.

"Mom." She sighed in relief finding the woman stirring a pot on the stove.

Akira turned around with a smile that slowly faded when she saw the disheveled state her daughter was in.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" She asked in alarm moving instantly around the table.

"Sesshomaru left me in the subway. Has he come home?" Kagome asked frantically looking around hoping to find him lurking in some dark corner, but there was nothing.

"No, honey. Why did he… Kagome?!" Akira called after her.

Kagome didn't have time to explain. She'd do that after she got Sesshomaru home safe. She sprinted up the stairs taking them two at a time and jerked one of her grandmother's quilts out of the linen closet. It was getting dark and if she found him, he'd probably argue about coming back. Stubborn dog. She wasn't about to let him get sick again.

Kagome flew back down the steps, her back protesting her erratic movements and grabbed a flashlight off of the side table next to the door where her mother kept her keys. She saw her mother walking towards her from the kitchen, but she couldn't stand there and chat. She was getting a strange feeling and it had something to do with Sesshomaru, she just knew it.

Kami, she seriously hoped the only thing she would encounter was an angry Taiyoukai and not something battered and beaten. She had to fight back a round of burning tears at the thought. She jerked the door open and rushed outside into the fading light of the evening. She wouldn't allow any harm to come to him if she could help it.

"Where are you going?!" Akira asked worriedly from the doorway.

"I got to find him, Mom. I'll be back. Don't worry." Kagome reassured quickly before running towards the Shrine steps.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Miss Undo, HalfBlackWolfDemon, supermangageek23, BelvaRoze, Silent Lyoness, midnight darkness2012, Dyc, LoveInTheBattleField, creamberries, & GiggleboxGirlie for their reviews.

Also a thank you to BelvaRose, Lothiriel17, PrettyKitty77, & krissy1412 for their faves & follows.

As always, the readers are amazing and I appreciate all of the feedback.

More to post soon. ^_^

~scattered-dimensions~


	17. Chapter 17

The band of deviants before Sesshomaru collectively laughed at his display pushing his anger to an unbelievable level. His eyes narrowed on the guffawing leader, the man's yellowed teeth flashing as he held his stomach. Sesshomaru sprinted forward, annoyed that his legs would not move faster, but his mind stayed focused solely on his first target. His fist collided with the man's face sending tremors up Sesshomaru's arm from the impact and the man sprawling on the ground. He was no longer laughing.

A brawny man from the left rushed him, but his size slowed him down enough for Sesshomaru to sidestep the folded length of heavy chains that had been swung at his head. The metal clattered together going lax in the midst of the missed impact. Sesshomaru dropped into a crouch and swept the man's legs out from under him, but before he could right himself for the next attack there was a swift, hard punch to his ribs catching him off-guard and knocking him winded.

"Kill him!" The leader yelled wiping blood from his nose and the others joined in the foray.

Sesshomaru grabbed the meaty fist of the man on the ground before him and bent it back until he heard it snap. The man bellowed in pain. His keen eyes assessed the threats inching closer to him. Two had dropped back; slowing their progression after their largest companion began his shouts of agony. Three more advanced non-plussed by the spectacle including the righted ring leader.

They had all brandished a weapon, but to Sesshomaru these objects were of little consequence. They may have the mind to produce such items, but it didn't mean that they knew how to use them. Sesshomaru stood to his full height and brushed his silver mane over his shoulder tauntingly. He heard an irritated growl before a man who resembled a small rodent ran out from behind the leader.

He swung the metal bar at Sesshomaru's unprotected ribs, but he blocked the attack with his forearm. It hurt like hell, but his focus remained on the perspiring man trying to overpower him. Mortal or not, Sesshomaru wasn't about to let a puny human best him. He had centuries of training after all. He smiled exposing his fangs and the rattish man gulped. It took him mere seconds to lift the fool by the front of his filthy shirt and raise him into the air, his speed and strength still disappointing.

The others started towards him again, gaining speed. The man in his grasp, empowered by his companions' daring advance, lifted the metal bar and made to swing it, but Sesshomaru caught it in his other hand. He jerked it away and allowed it to clatter to the ground. The man shook. If Sesshomaru had his proper senses he would have been able to smell this man's fear, but considering the rankness rolling off the fool it was for the best that his nose wasn't as keen. This was bad enough.

He waited until they reached him before tossing the coward into the group. He was caught by the leader who oddly didn't hold a weapon. It was in Sesshomaru's experience that others only followed the strongest, as insignificant as the example was in this case. He had no time to ponder it further.

Sesshomaru dropped back again as a rather large and foreign shaped dagger sliced through the air near his abdomen. His retreat was hindered by the big man he'd left holding his wrist on the ground. He tried to spin, but was too slow. The man grasped a hold of his hair in his good fist while the one with the knife remained where he was, his thumb running over the blade with a morbid fascination.

The rattish man was smiling now and another with sallow cheeks appeared. The two of them tried to grab his arms, but he pivoted his leg bringing it up high enough to connect with the walking rodent's head bashing him unconscious. He ignored the sharp pain in his knee.

It was a short lived victory. The one with sallow cheeks drew back a fist covered in metal and slammed it into his gut. Sesshomaru would have doubled over had he not been held by the roots of his hair.

"Not smiling now, are ya, freak?" The leader mocked from his observatory position.

He was too far for Sesshomaru to reach with his legs and stood there with his arms crossed with a smug grin on his face. The sickly man delivered another punch to the inu's ribs that reverberated through his insides causing him to automatically heave for air, but the assault didn't stop.

He drew back to hit him again. Sesshomaru grabbed his wrist feeling his head being pulled back roughly exposing throat. He felt the cold caress of a blade on the tender underside of his neck and halted immediately. The leader was laughing again.

Sesshomaru ran down several different scenarios in his mind, but none were adequate for this particular situation. He would wind up with his throat slit and would bleed out before help arrived, if it arrived at all. He was mortal now and never before had he loathed something so much.

If he was still the Taiyoukai he once was, he would have melted every last one of them into steaming, grotesque pile of fleshy goo and continued toward the trees beyond the play area without a second thought, but this was not the reality of the situation.

He tested the large man's hold on him, but the light prick of the blade at his neck caused him to stop. He could feel the warm, slick contrast of his own blood sliding down his flesh in the chilly night air. The blade wielder tsked and shook his head as if admonishing a child. Sesshomaru had to remind himself that he would be dead before he could rip the man's throat out.

"I would be very still if I were you." He said with heavy embellishment causing all of them to chuckle.

"Haru, grab his arm. I got unfinished business with this one." The sickly man ordered to another that had stayed completely away from the fight.

Sesshomaru watched as the one called Haru stepped forward, his eyes darting from Sesshomaru's face to his clothing then back again.

"Man, I don't know. Make Weasel do it. This dude's pretty weird." The wary man pleaded.

"Weasel's laid the fuck out over there. Get your ass up here or you'll be next, Haru." He warned waving the metal laced fist in front of his face for emphasis.

Sesshomaru watched as Haru stepped up to his side, his throat bobbed exaggeratedly as he swallowed and he wrapped his arms around Sesshomaru's. The youkai mentally cringed at the contact. Surely his clothing would stink for years after this.

"Alright, Marco, you get the other one. So help either of you if he clocks me one." The sickly man said maneuvering to stand in front of Sesshomaru blocking his view of the leader.

The blade was removed from his throat and another set of arms wrapped themselves around his free limb. He tested the strength of his two captors finding himself able to only move a small fraction, but it would be enough.

How ridiculous it was to have to actually use strategy against these simpletons. The man with the metal fist smiled devilishly revealing a jagged row of nasty teeth and cracked his knuckles.

He drew back and landed a swift punch to Sesshomaru's gut, but he had expected it and used his abdominal muscles to absorb the blow. It hurt, yes, but not as much as they were going to when he got free. Another hit connected with his sternum and he felt the air rush from his lungs, but he remained upright of his own volition and not by the hold of the behemoth at his back. His eyes narrowed on the fist being pulled back for another strike and waited.

The arm shot forward and Sesshomaru lifted his leg with grace clamping his knee around the man's wrist. He contorted his leg in a way that made the sickly man hiss then jerked his bent leg backwards sending the fool to the ground, his hand immobilized. Haru gasped and his hold weakened. Sesshomaru took advantage.

He jerked his left arm up and sent an elbow crashing into the man's gut causing him to double over and cough spastically. Marco tightened his grip and went towards his belt for the knife, while the man captured by Sesshomaru's leg began to struggle. Sesshomaru acted quickly. He brought his left hand up and clamped it around Marco's throat, his claws digging into the gritty flesh. The man stilled, but his hold on Sesshomaru's arm never slackened. Good.

He used Marco as leverage and dropped a boot on the arm that was held immobile. The man with the metal fist screamed in pain as his bones snapped. Sesshomaru released him allowing him to scamper away with tears in his eyes and an utterly useless arm. Marco's eyes flew wide and jerked his own arms away. Sesshomaru's hand restricted, his claws sinking deeper into the blade wielder's flesh causing blood to seep freely from the puncture wounds.

* * *

Kagome had surveyed every single stretch of street and sidewalk along her trek towards the park. A thought dawned on her during her mad dash down the steps of the Shrine that Sesshomaru would no doubt head towards something familiar to him. The only thing that fit that description on this part of town was the park where there was a swatch of trees. Sesshomaru seemed to travel on foot through the forests often during his hunt for Naraku and they had passed the venue on their way home from the hospital.

He'd had enough directional sense to make it to the subway, but with all of the twists and turns they had taken to get home from the hospital, the park was a bit of a stretch. It wasn't a place she would go during any time of night. She wasn't stupid. She knew what kind of people lurked in the deep shadowy recesses, but it was her only real lead. She certainly hoped he hadn't taken off wondering about without a destination because scouring every nook and cranny of the city would be next to impossible and the police were out of the question.

She stopped to lean against the information center outside of the park. She tried to calm her breathing and will away the discomfort in her back. She could feel her shirt sticking to her from something other than the sweat of her exertions, but that would have to be taken care of after she found Sesshomaru. She stretched one leg out in front of her then the other. Could she be any more tired?

Kagome pushed off the brick wall with her elbow and adjusted the quilt under her arm. She was really questioning her reasoning for bringing it in the first place instead of, say, a baseball bat. What if she ran into shady characters instead of Sesshomaru? What good would a blanket be then? Why didn't she just grab his coat?

She shook her head just as a shot rang out echoing through the area. She jumped in surprise and bit her lip to stifle her reflexive scream. She scrambled to shut off the flashlight and was about to take off running in the opposite direction until she heard a man's voice.

"Fuck man! He's got claws! Look at this shit! I'm bleeding!" The frantic voice said and Kagome felt her blood run cold.

She dropped the quilt in favor of sliding along the wall with greater ease, keeping the metal flashlight close to her chest. She peeked her head around the corner and had to clamp her throat around a gasp.

There was Sesshomaru surrounded by six men who were the picturesque example of the type she had been trying to hopelessly avoid. Of course they'd find Sesshomaru, but whatever made them think he was easy prey, mortal or not, was beyond her comprehension.

It didn't change the fact that she was beyond worried for the Taiyoukai. He was being held by the hair of his head looking as bored as can be by a rather huge man who was cradling a swollen wrist to his chest.

There was another lying on the ground a few yards away that wasn't moving and one standing off to the side holding his limp arm with tears running down his face. One more remained even further back, his arms wrapped around his middle and a frightened look on his dirty face hiding behind the man with blood running down his neck, but what scared the bejeezus out of Kagome was the man holding a gun pointing it straight at Sesshomaru's forehead. His nose was busted up and he looked livid.

"What the fuck are you?!" The armed man spat with such venom that it gave Kagome chills.

Sesshomaru didn't answer and Kagome knew this was going to end very badly. These fiends weren't the sort to play around and this one probably didn't have the patience to deal with the stoic Lord, especially after what he'd obviously done to the rest.

"Answer me freak!" The man shouted his frame as taut as a bow string.

She crept closer gripping her flashlight tightly. She was no match for the likes of him, but maybe she could buy Sesshomaru some time to get free. She plastered herself against the wall trying to stay in the shadows as much as possible to keep herself from attracting unwanted attention. She was almost directly behind the man with a gun and though she had the disadvantage of the big man holding Sesshomaru in place facing her direction, she had virtually no choice but to run the risk of exposure in favor of a bullet ending Sesshomaru's life.

She heard the click of the revolver's hammer being pulled back and wasted no more time. She sprung from the shadows and clubbed the man in the back of the head as hard as she could with her flashlight. The guy yelped and spun on his heels, his free hand coming to the back of his head. Kagome froze when the man scanned the area above her head expecting his attacker to be someone much taller than she was. She visibly flinched when his eyes landed on her and a sick smile formed on his bloodstained lips.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. It seems like the freak's got a girlfriend." He said maliciously.

Kagome tried to take a step back, but the flashlight was knocked from her hand and she was jerked off of her feet by the front of her coat in one smooth motion. She grasped the man's wrists and swung her legs making contact with the guy's stomach, but it held no affect. She was pushed out in front of the man to face Sesshomaru. She caught his amber eyes with her own seeing not even a hint of recognition in them. Was he still that angry? Would he really allow these men to hurt her?

She struggled against her captor, but it was useless. She wasn't going anywhere. The man shook her forcefully causing her head to snap back from the abruptness of it and she felt the flesh of her back rip. She wasn't able to muffle the pained noise she made and it caused the sick man's smile to widen further on his greasy face.

"What sweet sounds you make." He purred nauseously.

Kagome backed her face away when he lowered his own to sniff her hair, but her defensive movements were hindered drastically causing panic to well in her chest. He smelled awful and she kicked her legs out again connecting instantly with his shin. He yelped and jerked backwards, but his grip never slackened. She saw the glint of a gun to her left and held her breath in preparation for the impact.

"Let her go."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

* * *

**A/N:** As always a huge hug and thank you to GiggleboxGirlie, Miss Undo, Demonic-Otaku, llebreknit, HalfBlackWolfDemon, LoveInTheBattleField, Silent Lyoness, creamberries, & Aintgotnone for their reviews & to shintochick, mistontli, yujiyasha, KaciePie, & mrs lutz513 for their follows.

Also, thanks to all the readers.

I just want to make a small side note here. I've been asked a question and I feel the need to clarify.

This is a Sesshomaru & Kagome fic.

I've tried to keep Kagome & InuYasha's relationship as genuine as possible, but she has been gone for four years. A lot can happen to a maturing young girl in such a long time. They are not exclusive because they had never had that 'conversation.' We all know how InuYasha feels and I've alluded to Kagome's confusion on her own feelings earlier in the story. She had always thought her & InuYasha were meant to be (somewhat of a fatalist attitude). Now she's questioning that, but her thoughts are currently preoccupied at the moment. (Ahem, chasing after a tall, broody Taiyoukai whose got a serious chip on his shoulder.)

That being said, the name of the story is Suffering & Rebirth and I'm trying to portray that everyone will have their own troubles to overcome causing a change in them for good or ill. There's a lot of characters dynamics that I'm trying to exploit the best I can. The ones left behind (Rin, InuYasha, Shippo, & Jaken). The ones trying to get back to where they belong and having to adapt to their strenuous situations (Kagome & Sesshomaru). And, of course, Noriko who is compulsively reliving her entire life.

I can't really say what is going to happen with the story for obvious reasons, but I can assure you that it will not be what everyone expects.

~scattered-dimensions~


	18. Chapter 18

He had watched Kagome approach from the shadows and at first her very presence annoyed him. Would the meddlesome girl ever learn?

She brazenly attacked the man with the powder gun and then was efficiently captured by him while she cowered in fear. Sesshomaru felt the entire event to be so very predictable. How stupid could she be, truly?

But when the bastard sniffed her, he felt something inside him rattle a cage and a strange possessiveness emerged from the prison angry and lethal.

The words flowed from his lips effortlessly and he watched the man lower the gun. Kagome's blue eyes widened in circumference, her pleading and fear evident as they glistened with unshed tears. His chest clenched oddly and the beast broke free.

He tore his head away from the burly man, feeling his hair rip from his scalp, but the pain of such a thing was lost on him. He brought his elbow up against the bridge of his former captor's nose hearing it crack and sprinted forward, his claws at the ready.

The man with the gun barely had time to raise the firearm in his direction before Sesshomaru sank his claws into his forearm, lifting the gun to the sky a heartbeat before it went off. The man screeched and tossed Kagome to the side, immediately using his free hand as a battering ram, but Sesshomaru caught it well before the fist reached him, digging his claws into the flesh of the man's tender wrist. The leader froze.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome's rolling form came to an abrupt stop against a wooden seat rooted into the ground. She cried out at the impact and curled into a ball, her petite body shaking. Sesshomaru averted his attention back to the ring leader and growled viciously in the man's face pushing his claws even further into the arm with the gun until the weapon clattered uselessly on the ground.

He heard the clamoring footsteps of the other men running away behind him and risked a quick glance in the Miko's direction. She was still there, rolled up and quivering. There was movement beside him and he snapped his head around meeting the fearful eyes of Haru who was trying to lift the unconscious Weasel from the ground. The leader's head mimicked his own.

"Haru! Don't just stand there, you freakin' moron! Shoot him!" The leader yelled, his voice shaking in fear.

Sesshomaru glared at the coward daring him to follow that order, but he just shook his head in haste and began dragging Weasel away by his arms. Sesshomaru turned his face back to the man in his grasp.

"L-Look man. I was j-just playin', ya know…about the whole freak thing…"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and sneered.

"I'm an idiot. Mama always said I was a dummy…"

Sesshomaru continued to glare at the self-proclaimed bumbling fool, not one to argue the point.

"I wasn't goin' to hurt your woman, just, ya know, teach her a lesson…"

That was the end of Sesshomaru's patience.

He snarled and removed his hand from the man's arms allowing the undeniably stupid human the illusion of escape. Sesshomaru walked over to the abandoned set of chains lying harmlessly on the ground and picked them up testing the weight in his palm. He nodded in approval and looked up to the retreating man. The imbecile faltered in his steps and turned around dashing for the gun just as Sesshomaru knew he would. He didn't reach his mark.

Sesshomaru flicked his wrist and the chain came to life spearing the air heading directly for its target. The thick links encircled the brigand's neck with ease. Sesshomaru popped his wrist back in age old precision pulling the man backwards, his hands clawing at the metal and gasping for air. Sesshomaru dragged the idiot closer until he was able to press his boot into the man's heaving chest drawing his attention and further restricting his air flow.

"You will leave this place without your weapon. If you return, I will kill you." Sesshomaru promised his voice icy causing the man to shiver.

He dropped the chain with a loud clang on the ground and the man ran away, not stopping for his gun. He continued going until he was well out of sight the metal noose trailing after him.

There was a small whimper from behind him and he turned to see Kagome trying to sit up. He walked over to her and debated whether or not he should actually assist her. It seemed he'd done enough of that this night.

She ignored him, pulling her knees under her with her palms resting on the ground, her entire body shaking like a leaf in the wind. He couldn't see her face, but a soft sniffle told him that she was crying. He rolled his eyes.

"This Sesshomaru did not need your assistance." He told her trying to emphasize a point he'd made days ago.

"You never do." She replied quietly, her voice trembling in tune with her person.

She pushed off of her hands and rose to her feet. Her movements were awkward and seemingly uncomfortable. Her back remained stiff and she didn't move her arms, not even to remove the strands of hair sticking to her face. Her eyes darted around and she brushed past him heading for the gun. She bent at an odd angle and picked up the weapon with her thumb and forefinger. Her blunt teeth were biting into her bottom lip as she walked back to him offering the object like it was a smelly piece of garbage.

"You carry it." She said and he just looked at her.

"We can't leave this here for some kid to find. It's dangerous and I don't like guns. We'll dump it later." She explained with a roll of her eyes.

The tremors wracking her frame hadn't subsided though her voice was now clear from any inflections. She was frightened. It was plain as day and for some reason it didn't sit well with him.

"I have no use for such things, Miko. It is yours." He said and walked away.

She craned her neck to look at him as he passed still holding the gun away from her. He heard her huff and could just imagine her annoyed facial expression. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide at the thought. Why would he imagine her in any way?

The Miko took his pause as an invitation to catch up and he shoved his disturbing thoughts away quickly. Her gate was uneven suggesting a limp. She had been tossed a considerable distance. He didn't ask and she didn't offer when she reached him. He looked to her from the corner of his eyes, but her short stature prevented him from seeing her face. She didn't turn to him when she spoke.

"Thank you for saving me." She murmured quietly and he felt his pulse begin to gallop.

"Hn.

He began to walk back towards the Shrine remembering his way easily and battling a very alarming surge in his bestial instincts which was simply horrid. She wasn't someone he wanted to protect nor did she need such a thing at the moment. She had a protector. Granted the hanyou was 500 years in the past...

Sesshomaru growled mentally and began a very basic reasoning process for the insistent feelings welling up inside of him.

He was honor bound to protect her earlier because of his debt and because she was his half-brother's mate. Considering the lovers' current separation, it was only customary that he take on the responsibility of her temporary protection just as InuYasha had better be doing for Rin. His protective instincts shifted focus with the mental conjuring of his ward and surprisingly the sensation did not lessen nor did it increase. It was the same.

He cut his eyes at the limping girl beside him and frowned. He watched her pause next to a multi-colored blanket and bundle it into her arms. The strain in her posture was very evident and it made him slightly curious. Surely, she couldn't have been that injured? His instincts shifted its maddening focus once again and he had the sudden inconceivable urge to comfort her. His frown deepened and he walked away.

"Please, Sesshomaru, don't leave me behind. I can't keep up." She pleaded and he felt his heart pound spastically.

He paused allowing her to catch up. The remainder of the walk to her home was spent in mental and physical silence. Kagome had given him wet tissues to clean the blood off of himself and she had wiped the tears from her face. Sesshomaru was relieved that there were no cars on the streets this late and was even more thankful when they entered the front door of the darkened home. There was a light spilling out from the kitchen and Akira rushed into the foyer to greet them, her arms going around Kagome instantly.

"Oh, honey, I was so worried." She cried into her daughter's hair.

Sesshomaru's brow furrowed at the tenseness in the Miko's shoulders. Normally, she was most welcoming of her mother's affections.

"I'm fine. Look who I found." Kagome said the smile in her tone sounding forced.

The woman regarded her daughter curiously for a moment before turning her chestnut eyes on him. She walked up to him and grabbed his hand unabashedly, squeezing it and patting the top with a smile. For some reason he was glad that he had wiped his hands clean.

"You're fine as well?" She asked hopefully and Sesshomaru gave her a nod of his head.

"Good, good. I'm sure you both are hungry. I saved a couple of plates. They're in the oven and I made desert, too. Baked at least five dozen cookies. Oh, and a pie from scratch. Is it really cold out? Your hand is like ice, Sesshomaru-sama. Good thing you brought that blanket, Kagome."

Akira sounded close to tears as she rambled pulling Sesshomaru into the kitchen. She let go of his hand and pulled out a chair from the kitchen table then another beside it. Her hands landed on his shoulders and she guided him to sit.

"I sent Souta after you with my cellphone, but you left so fast and he didn't know which way you went…" Akira continued pushing Kagome gently into the seat next him.

Sesshomaru saw Kagome's face contort in pain, but when her mother rounded the table, the girl's face went lax. She remained silent while Akira busied herself at the stove.

"Before I knew it, it had gotten so late. Dad spent the better part of the evening praying for your safe return and here you both are, safe and sound. I had to send Souta to bed. He didn't want to go, but…Would you two like some tea? I'm out of our usual blend, but I think I have jasmine."

Akira boiled the water quickly and placed two cups on the table in front of them.

"Where are my manners? Sesshomaru-sama, do you take sugar or cream with your tea?" She asked pleasantly her tone a little off.

"No." He said and the woman's face drooped as her eyes began to sparkle with tears.

She served the tea sniffling for a moment before her lips turned into a ghost of a smile. He could feel Kagome's eyes boring holes into the side of his head, but ignored it.

"It's always terrible for a parent when their child runs off, but Kagome's not a little girl any more. She's been traveling through the well since she was fifteen. I know she can take care of herself, but this time is so different from yours. So many things could have happened. Not saying you can't protect yourself, Sesshomaru-sama. You're a Lord and a strong, strapping demon…"

Akira trailed off turning to the stove again to open the door to the oven and pulled out a metal tray topped with two strange shiny covered bowls. They looked to be made out of metal as well. She sniffled again.

"It takes someone with fortitude and skill to rule a land. Then I thought of the traffic and…I hadn't explained to you about the stop lights and when to walk and when not to…And Kagome's such a pretty girl and there are people who like to roam the streets at night…" Akira's jumbled diatribe broke off with a sob.

Kagome slid out of her seat and went to comfort her mother while Sesshomaru reeled from the woman's words. She had been worried about them both. Her concern for her daughter was understandable and had proven to be quite valid, but him? She had even acknowledged him as the true Taiyoukai he should be, not as the weakened form he was in now. It was…baffling.

"Everything's okay now, Mom. We're both okay and nothing bad happened. Why don't I take over from here? You go on up to bed and get some rest." Kagome cooed rubbing her mother's trembling back.

"Yes, I suppose I am a little tired." Akira replied with a watery laugh.

She turned and wrapped her arms around her daughter hugging her tightly. Sesshomaru watched as Kagome bit her bottom lip and her eyes slammed shut with her brow furrowing in anguish. When Akira pulled away, Kagome's face smoothed out instantly and her mouth broke into a smile.

"I love you, honey. You know that, right?" Akira asked sweetly pushing Kagome's bangs behind her ears and tapping her chin.

"I love you too, Mom. Now, off to bed." Kagome ushered softly.

Akira nodded and walked past the table, pausing at his side to pat his shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm so glad you both are home." She said earnestly catching his eye and stunning him once again with the sincerity he found there.

Her hand fell away and she exited the room leaving them alone. Kagome remained at the counter with her hands braced against the rim, her knuckles turning white from the pressure, and her shoulders shaking in tiny tremors with her head bowed. She was still wearing her coat even though her home was warm and Sesshomaru heard no signs of crying.

He stood up walking around the table to stand beside the girl catching a glimpse of her pain stricken features before she noticed his presence and leveled them out.

"Thank you for not telling her what really happened." Kagome said genuinely her head rising to look at him as she released the counter allowing her knuckles to return to their normal color.

"You are in pain, Miko." He stated and her eyes flew wide.

"It's nothing, re…"

He grabbed the top of her coat and began tugging it off of her shoulders not wishing to hear her silly protests. She hissed when her arms moved backwards and he stilled his hand looking down at the gap between to two articles of clothing. Her entire shirt was slick with blood. She shrugged away from him and put her hands up in a defensive motion.

"What are you doing?" She asked warily and Sesshomaru fought the urge to sigh.

What _was_ he doing?

"You are injured." He said his concern troubling them both.

"Yes, well that's to be expected after the day I've had. Let's talk about that first, shall we?" She said her arms dropping to her sides and her voice taking on a razor's edge.

He narrowed his eyes in warning and she copied his actions perfectly.

"How about we start with the reason why you just took off?" she asked her tone sounding slightly dangerous.

"This Sesshomaru made it obvious, Miko." He bit back.

"Really? Well, I've got a newsflash for you, buddy. Storming off in some broody fit then interrogating me on my friends is not an obvious explanation." She ranted in a raised whisper.

"Your actions were unbecoming of an inu's mate." He said trying to reel in his temper for Akira's sake alone.

"Inu's mate…Forgive me for sounding a little like your despised half-brother, but…what the hell are you talking about?" Kagome hissed waving her hands about then wincing afterwards.

"You are mated to InuYasha, yes?" He asked as if she were stupid and her mouth dropped open in an unflattering fashion.

"You think me and InuYasha are…Kami, no. We're friends…just friends… and I made a promise to stand by him always which is exactly what I'm going to do when we get back." She explained quickly her voice returning to an amicable, almost sad tone.

It was Sesshomaru's turn to be astounded. Though he made sure it didn't show outwardly. He could tell she was being truthful, but he never expected her to say those words. He had been so sure the hanyou had mated the female the moment she returned.

InuYasha's actions over the years had proven that he held a deep and determined love for the girl. She had always been loyal to the half-breed regardless of his mixed heritage, brusque mannerisms, or the affair he'd been having with the undead priestess. The connection had been blatantly obvious from the moment he encountered the duo riding on the shoulder of an ogre.

"If that was the only reason then can I assume you won't go running off alone without at least telling me first?" Kagome asked closing the gap between them.

He just watched her fumble with the metal plates while he wrapped his mind around the last twist of the day. Kagome sighed and shook her head. She turned towards a set of drawers and bent to open it, but her movements seized causing her to half-stifle a groan.

He acted before thinking, placing his hand on her upper arm and urged her to stand up straight. She did so with questioning eyes and he just opened the cabinet where Akira kept the medical box trying not to  
overanalyze his actions.

"Sesshomaru, you don't have to worry about that. I'll just shower and get Mom to fix me up in the morning." She said nervously.

He wanted to be angry at her for assuming that he was going to be the one to wrap her wounds, but that was precisely his intent and he could not formulate a logical explanation as to why. It held no benefit to him and his debt had been paid. He frowned down at the red cross on the white metal box confused by his own actions.

He decided not to ponder anything further this night. He had a multitude of stored information that needed to be sorted when he was able to think clearly, so he just allowed his instincts to guide him. They were practically screaming at him to stop her pain and he was going to acquiesce to their request just this once. His disconcertations could wait until later.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Love Raven, GiggleboxGirlie, LoveInTheBattleField, Miss Undo, Mr Right time, creamberries, & OrihimeKurosakilnoue for their reviews.

Naturally, my gratitude extends to kdhabrat, OrihimeKurosakilnoue, ladydenian, and coolreader5 for their faves and follows, and to the readers as well.

Hope everyone had a fun weekend.

~scattered-dimensions~


	19. Chapter 19

Kagome was having a hard time keeping her mind on task. Her night had been spent with a stoic Taiyoukai with serious anger issues and an even bigger proximity problem.

He had insisted on helping her with her reopened wounds after rudely pulling her coat halfway down her back which hurt, by the way. She had agreed to allow it for her mother's sake. The elder Higarashi would have fallen to pieces to see her in such a state and probably would have never let her out of the house again. Sesshomaru's offer had seemed like the only viable option at the time considering the fact that she wouldn't stop bleeding.

After they had both eaten and showered, Sesshomaru had asked her to lie down on the bed. He had pushed her sweater up with care so that it did not upset the already raw flesh. She had to instruct him on how to use the antiseptic and the cream, but he got the hang of it rather quickly. The softness of his touch surprised her, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She had been so tired that her usual virginal quirkiness hadn't reared its head, but it was back now with a frightful vengeance.

She had been half asleep lulled there by the softness of her bed, the quiet of the room, and the sweet blessed relief of her wounds being tended to when she could have sworn Sesshomaru licked her. At the time she giggled thinking it hilarious because he was a dog and then pushed the thought aside completely because Sesshomaru would never do something like that.

She fell asleep right after that and woke up this morning lying on the couch instead of her bed. Her back had been bandaged rather tightly, but efficiently, and she had silently praised him on what could have possibly been his very first medical application even if she was having a little trouble breathing.

Now, her mind was replaying the events over and over trying to discredit her suspicions, but the more times she looped the event, the stronger her conviction became that it had indeed happened. He licked her.

The feeling was warm and wet. Not cold like the antiseptic. The texture had been slightly rough and it tickled opposed to the drenched cotton balls he'd been using that stung. What possessed him to do something like that? Better yet, why had he insisted on treating her wounds at all?

Gah! She couldn't even figure that out.

He hadn't come down from her room all day and she wasn't going up there anytime soon. Her mother had brought him breakfast and lunch on a tray and had reported that he was reading the library books Kagome had brought home the night before. Her mother had stored them on her desk in her fit of worry. They had been the reason that her back had reopened anyway and her little run in with a street thug had been the proverbial final straw. She was glad to be rid of them.

Her mother had changed her bandages before leaving to take her grandfather to his eye exam and seemed pleased with her progress. In fact, she claimed that they were almost healed sending Kagome into another dizzying mental somersault.

She had just reopened them. How could they be healed already?

She sat on the couch searching the internet for some form of an answer to their overall conundrum and found herself too distracted to focus on a single word.

Part of her itched to just go upstairs and ask Sesshomaru point blank what he had done, but that virginal side was too chicken to allow it. Kami, she'd been half naked, not even wearing a bra. How much had he seen when he wrapped her up? Would he even look at a lesser being in such a way?

Kagome shook her head and clapped her hands together before grabbing a cookie from a plate next to her. She crammed the sweet treat into her mouth and tried to bat away the images of Sesshomaru's tongue parting his soft lips.

She shut the laptop and put it on the coffee table. She damned stupid WacDnald's double bacon cheeseburgers and demon dogs altogether giving herself another idea.

She hadn't played with Buyo much since she'd been back because he reminded her too much of Shika with his markings and through that it had reminded her of InuYasha and Shippo, then everyone else. It wasn't fair to her beloved family pet that he be ignored because she was a wuss who couldn't control her emotions.

Kagome stood up noticing how easy and nearly painless it was to move around. She brushed the thought away as soon as it entered her mind. She knelt next to Buyo's toy basket and found his feather stick. She smiled. This was sure to please her lazy feline and set off in search of him fully prepared to make up for lost time.

* * *

Sesshomaru's mind had been filled with a flurry of self-recrimination, doubt, reflection, and overall befuddlement. He had licked the Miko. Even in his head it sounded wrong.

Her wounds were just as bad, if not worse than the day they arrived. He had no idea she had been walking around this entire time with such horrific gashes. He thought she had healed or was close to it. In truth, he hadn't given it much thought at all. It did not change the fact that they were wounds she had received in his stead and his instincts were telling him to relieve her of the discomfort.

It had been an experiment, a test if you will, or so he told himself, and it hadn't been the first time he'd used his saliva on a mortal's wounds. Rin had gotten many scrapes and cuts from their travels, most of them on her bare feet, and he used to use his youki to seal them to alleviate her distress. It had been his role as her caretaker and Alpha to ensure her well-being. The process had never been inappropriate in anyway, but his contact with the Miko had been vastly different.

He had enjoyed her taste which oddly didn't disgust him nearly as much as he would have thought. In all realism, it had been so much more complex than just simple enjoyment and that is what vexed him. The moment her blood hit his tongue it was as if all the color in his world suddenly sprung to life.

He could hear her tiny, sleepy giggle as if she were shouting and his eyes were able to see the fine, nearly transparent hairs on her skin with full clarity. His senses had returned and for a moment, just a moment, he was able to smell every layer of her being, could feel her very existence, the strong rhythm of her heart and the blood rushing through her veins. For that fleeting point in time, he was himself again, but the second he pulled away, it all faded.

He had long since deserted his thoughts on his strange behavior the day before for this peculiar subject and now it was bordering on obsession.

He did not know how his treatment truly affected her wounds, but he continued his experimentation after she fell asleep too enthralled in the glorious sensation of his youki coursing through his being to stop. He even went as far as to wipe the salve from her back so as to not place an unwanted barrier between him and his prize.

He discovered that the more of her blood he tasted, the longer his senses remained intact and he was even able to conjure a small amount of venom to his fingertips. It eventually waned leaving him disappointed, but not without a grand measure of hope and an equally guilty conscience.

He had taken advantage of her in a vulnerable state and had compromised his own honor and beliefs in the process. He had told himself days ago that he would not lower himself to sniffing a human. The irony of his situation was not lost on him.

He had wrapped her wounds carefully after reapplying the salve making sure her shirt remained in place throughout the entire process. He fastened the bandages snugly to ensure they wouldn't slip, not entirely certain he was doing it correctly. She never stirred. He replaced her clothing and carried her downstairs. He situated her on the couch so as to not raise unnecessary questions.

It was clear that their dealings with the bandits were to be kept a secret and he had no wish to upset Akira any worse that she had already been. It was a reasoning that he did not fully understand, but a logical one none the less. Her hospitality had been…pleasing.

Sesshomaru did not sleep at all. Instead, he picked up the books on myths and the ones on magic Kagome had borrowed. He read chapter after chapter exhausting every single bound reference finding absolutely no relevance to his troubling experience.

Noriko had been a priestess with significantly different powers, ones that he had not been able to discern fully through the bouts of purification that continuously swept over him. It had most definitely been a spell that rid him of his youki, but his interaction with Kagome's blood had proven that it was only suppressed not banished like he'd initially presumed.

His theory and knowledge had concluded that only a Miko would have the ability to undo what had been done, which was not too far from the truth, only he thought that it would have to be the witch herself. Kagome had just verified that to be wrong.

However, there had to be more to it than just her blood to break the curse. It was evident that it was only a temporary fix, but he didn't have the proper knowledge on the subject to figure out what he would need. He did know that to understand the spell he would have to know the ingredients used to create it which he didn't.

Sesshomaru growled in frustration and stood to pace the floor. He'd been thinking none stop for hours. The only breaks he had gotten were when Akira had brought him food and still he was no closer to a solution. Magic and spells were his mother's forte and without her guidance it might just as well be impossible to accomplish.

He was left with only one option; to confess his controversial discovery to Kagome and see if she would be willing to assist in this venture.

He opened the door to the room and walked out. He cleared the flight of steps in seconds, sheer determination fueling his focus. He found her on her knees with her rear in the air manipulating a purple feather on a stick in front of the swatched feline who was expertly ignoring her. Her position caused his discomfort to soar to an unbelievable level. He averted his eyes quickly.

"Come on, Buyo. Didn't you miss me just a little bit?" Kagome asked dejectedly as she rose up to sit on her heels.

Sesshomaru took the opportunity to gain her attention. "Miko."

She jumped and clamped her hand over her mouth turning to him with overly large eyes.

"Don't do that." She said breathlessly covering her chest with the hand that had stifled her scream and immediately averted her eyes as a rosy hue began to tint her pale skin.

"I have a…request." He began feeling uncertain for the first time since he entered the room with her.

The forgotten concerns of the day before began inching their way to the forefront of his mind with more quickly adding to the chaotic mess, but he suppressed them. There were far more important matters that needed to be dealt with.

"Okay, what is it?" Kagome asked staring at his bare feet.

"I wish to treat your wounds again, but in the traditional inu way." He said feeling a tension knot deep in his gut.

"Inu way meaning like in a dog way." She surmised her voice barely audible.

"Yes." He replied relieved that she understood saving him an immeasurable amount of humiliation.

"You licked me last night." She squeaked and allowed her bangs to fall into her face hiding it from his view.

"Yes." He didn't bother to deny it though he was reluctant to explain how far that had actually gone.

"Why?" She asked.

"Your wounds were this Sesshomaru's responsibility and your human methods were inadequate." He explained and she shot to her feet.

"I'm sick of hearing how inadequate and insignificant humans are. My back was doing just fine until I had to lug around fifty pounds of books through town and fight through the massive crowd that you purposely put between us. Now, you want to lick me until I get better. That's creepy, Sesshomaru, and so not gonna happen." She exclaimed her face the color of the hexagons on his haori.

"There is more to it than simple healing." He started trying to piece his words together in his mind so to not dissuade her further.

"This I've got to hear." She replied placing her hands on her hips.

"The curse that was placed on me is temporary." He started motioning to the couch.

"And you know this because you licked me?" She asked snarkily as she perched on the edge of an overstuffed cushion.

"Yes. My senses returned, but it was only for a short time." He explained further, sitting himself beside the obviously offended Miko.

She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips, her expression one of disbelief. Her insolence irked him to no ends, but he would not back down from this. He refused to let her ignorance come between him and his revitalization. He bent over and pulled up his hakama leg showing her his fully healed knee as proof.

"And you want to try again?" He nodded and she sighed her face turning thoughtful for a moment.

He smoothed out his attire and waited for her answer finding himself to be quite apprehensive.

"Mom said that they were almost completely healed." She said and he felt his hopeful attitude diminish.

He could feel Kagome's eyes on him as he tried to figure out what to do with this new revelation. She was healing and that was a good sign for her, but problematic to his plans. He refused to ask her to harm herself for him to regain a teasing glimmer of youki, though he did not rule out the need for her blood later on should he discover the appropriate counterbalance to the spell.

"We could try anyway, if you want." Her voice was barely above a whisper and her face was turned away from him.

Her hair was twisted messily atop her head giving him an unobstructed view of the blush rising to her ears and neck.

"That would be acceptable to this Sesshomaru." He answered in his usual monotone.

* * *

He shut the door to the bedroom and Kagome fiddled with the hem of her overly large sweater until the collar slid down her bare shoulder. Her face was still stained crimson and hadn't let up since she had agreed to his appeal downstairs.

It was clear she was uncomfortable with all of this and it made him wonder what kind of experience she really had with any type of intimacy. Now, that thought should have bothered him immensely, but instead he was fighting the urge to smile. Perhaps he could find some amusement in this procedure after all. He could do with a bit of a distraction.

"Um, how do you want to do this?" She squeaked nervously.

"The acceptable manner would be for you to disrobe and lie on the bed." He said with a smirk and she glared at him.

"Pervert! I'm not taking off my clothes!" She yelled in indignation.

Sesshomaru left her fuming near the door and sat on the bed adjusting his position until he was quite comfortable.

"Come here, Miko." He commanded.

He watched her eyes narrow and her coloring darkened, though he suspected it was more out of anger this time than embarrassment.

"I am not a dog." She spat and he lifted an eyebrow.

"You assume dogs will come when they are beckoned like single-minded imbeciles?" He asked his mood shifting to annoyance.

"That's not what I meant. It's an expression, but your little comment proves what you really think about me. Now, since that's all cleared up, I'm going back downstairs to heal on my own. Figure out another avenue to take regarding your mortality. As far as I'm concerned, it suits you." She growled incensed and he abruptly stood crossing the room in three quick strides.

"Watch your tongue, onna." He snarled down into her face and she glowered defiantly.

"Maybe you should watch yours. This is my house, you pompous ass." She seethed in return.

Sesshomaru could feel his blood boiling and his fingers twitched at his side. It was taking a considerable amount of concentration to keep them immobile. This was not how he planned this event to unfold. She was insufferable.

"It is your fault I'm here at all." He bit out through clenched teeth.

"We've already been over this. The legitimacy of your statement has been acknowledged and dully noted, but that doesn't change the fact that you look down your nose at everyone. I am not one of your faithful followers, _Lord _Sesshomaru. You are in a human home and we like to use common courtesy. You should try it." She said icily and made to leave.

He grabbed her arm and jerked her away from the door. Her shoulder crashed into his chest, the rest of her body following suit until she was flush against him. Kagome stood there glaring up at him challengingly, every muscle in her body tense.

"Let me go." She said darkly.

"No." He retorted in kind.

"So help me…" She warned.

"I have." He responded smartly.

"Sesshomaru…" Her voice dropped an octave.

"I dare you, Miko." He antagonized with a smile.

Her eyes flew wide, her mouth thinned, and she slapped him right across the face propelling it to the side with a burst of silver hair following. The echo of the harsh impact reverberated around the room along with her sharp inhalation of breath. He held onto her completely stunned for a moment.

She struck him. No female had ever had the gall.

He felt a trickle of blood seeping from his lip and licked it away finally focusing on the girl he held against his person. Her blue eyes were huge and her face had gone pale with her offending hand fisted over her heart, her lips curved into a surprised 'o'. It seemed she had shocked herself as well. He couldn't believe he was admitting this, but her actions were…admirable.

"Please, Miko."

It was the two most excruciating words he had ever uttered in his long life.

* * *

A/N: Thank you Miss Undo, HalfBlackWolfDemon, GiggleboxGirlie, LoveInTheBattleField, & OrihimeKurosakilnoue for their reviews.

Also to mizunosora, sango531, & lular for their follows.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. More to follow soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	20. Chapter 20

Kagome blinked and felt the tight grip on her arm loosen. It took her a moment to register that the word '_please_' had fallen from Sesshomaru's bleeding lips instead of the anticipated '_die_.' Her frozen muscles thawed granting her the ability to close her gaping mouth, her tongue sticking thickly to the roof of it as she struggled to swallow around the huge lump in her throat.

She took a cautious step back breaking Sesshomaru's hold on her completely. Her eyes remained transfixed on his reddened face. Kagome felt bile rise in her throat at the sight of the perfectly welted carbon copy of her handprint marring his flawless alabaster skin. The hue of the abrasion was so dark it rivaled the coloring of his stripes. The reality of what she had done came crashing down on her.

She had just slapped the taste out of the Western Taiyoukai's mouth and…was still breathing.

Holy Kami above!

As justified and liberating as her actions had been, she didn't think it wise to push her already fragile luck. She took another step backwards feeling more than a little apprehensive. His eyes weren't helping either; golden orbs transfixed on her every movement like he was waiting for something. She hoped it was for an answer, but her self-preservation instincts were refusing to believe it. She was torn and a little shaken. It had been like an out of body experience without the third person point of view.

She had watched her hand fly of its own accord and mentally cringed as her palm struck the warmth of his cheek. She saw the bewilderment displayed openly on his face as his head snapped to the side before her vision was obscured by a water flow of silken silver. She had retracted her stinging hand thinking that was the last thing she would ever do, but then he had said please.

Now she was struggling to catch up. He hadn't said anything else nor had he moved while she deliberated the last few moments they had spent in each other's tense company. After everything that had transpired, he still wanted to touch her. There was nothing she had locked away in the file labeled _Sesshomaru _in her mind that could be used to understand it.

"You're not mad?" She asked impulsively and felt like a lunatic poking a hibernating bear with a chainsaw.

Deep concentration wrinkled the crescent moon on his forehead and his head bowed slightly like the frown on his face weighed a ton.

"No, though I do not suggest it happen again." He said flatly.

"Why?" She asked reeling from his mental flashbang of an answer.

"Your congeniality will not stay my hand should there be a repeat performance, Miko." He stated coolly and locked her eyes with his own.

Kagome shut up.

She had wanted to know why he wasn't mad, but supposed his explanation answered that question along with further solidifying her original trepidation. He may not have been his true self in a physical aspect, but he was still intimidating none the less. Her mind flashed to a maw frozen in midtransformation. The hair on her arms stood on ends and she shivered. He quirked an eyebrow.

"Your thoughts, Miko?" He inquired and she had to take a steadying breath.

"I'm not sorry I hit you." She started refusing to lie and he nodded as if he already knew making her feel a little emboldened. "You shouldn't have grabbed me."

"Agreed." He said combing his fingers through his hair and she guessed that was as close to an apology she would ever get from him.

Her focus was directed to his split lower lip. It was slightly swollen and trickling a tiny amount of blood that he didn't seem to notice. She walked around him to her desk and opened the middle drawer rummaging until she found a travel packet full of tissues. She opened the plastic package and pulled one out. She turned finding him seated on her bed watching her intently.

She may have not been sorry, but it didn't mean she liked what she had done. She walked up to him and twisted the flimsy paper over the tip of her forefinger. He didn't resist when she gingerly grasped his chin and tilted his face to the side. She couldn't help but notice how soft and warm his skin was.

She nibbled the inside of her cheek nervously moving her other hand forward.

Kagome tried not to pay attention to his piercing amber gaze as she dabbed the blood away from his lip and chin. More welled to the surface and she made to remove it, but his hand stilled her movements with a gentle pressure. Her eyes locked with his as he removed the tissue from her finger.

He singled out that particular digit and enveloped her hand in his larger one, his claws resting against the tender underside of her wrist causing her heart to pound against her ribs. He brought the pad up to the cut and smoothed it over the slick surface. She tried to pull away uncertain of his intent, but he refused to let her go.

His eyes dropped from hers as he pulled back the moist appendage to inspect it then pushed it toward her own lips. She looked at him like he'd lost his mind and clamped her mouth tightly closed pulling her head away. He stopped, his hand still holding hers just inches from her face, and his eyes narrowed.

"It is possible that my blood may awaken your own powers. Take advantage while you can. It is not often this Sesshomaru bleeds."

Kagome couldn't deny the fact that he may be right about her reiki. Her blood had allowed him to temporarily regain his own powers. In regards to his proclivity about bleeding, she had seen it happen quite often here lately. She smiled electing to keep that thought to herself.

He cocked his head to the side regarding her curiously before she pulled her hand out of his grasp. She held her finger up to look at the shiny crimson liquid. It wasn't much and she wasn't into exchanging blood with anyone, Kami, think of the diseases, but Sesshomaru _was_ a demon.

She deliberated it rationally for a moment.

Considering the regiment of antibiotics he was on she doubted anything could live in his bloodstream, couple that with his surge in youki that more than likely purified anything that may have existed…she found the idea to be intriguing.

She had been willing to let him do his experiments on her own wounds. He had even lowered his standards enough to ask her permission, had pretty much forgiven her for striking him, and allowed her to touch him without a fight. Now he was offering a part of his highly regarded self for her own possible benefit.

Their situation was a cacophony of misunderstandings, biased stubbornness, and a complete lack of mediating. Someone had to take the first step. She wanted to go back to her friends. He wanted to go home. And the only way that well would work would be if she could get her powers back. He was offering her an olive branch and she concluded that she would be a fool to not accept it.

"Here goes nothing." She muttered and placed her finger in her mouth.

She shut her eyes to block out everything else in favor of the taste on her tongue. It was bitter with a light metallic undercurrent, but not as vile as she had anticipated. She suckled the blood away after a moment waiting. She didn't feel any different. That dark void where her powers normally buzzed just beneath the surface was still cold and lifeless and when she tried to flare her reiki nothing happened.

She opened her eyes and pulled her finger out of her mouth with a sigh. Sesshomaru was staring at her expectantly, his hands resting on his knees and his eyebrows lifted in a silent question, hope written plainly across his features. It dawned on her that this was probably the most vulnerable she had ever seen him, all fever induced deliria aside, and it saddened her to have to disappoint him.

"Sorry." She offered gloomily and his countenance fell.

She sat down on her bed beside him and drew her knees to her chest wrapping her arms around her shins to hold her in place. He remained silent for some time obviously lost in thought.

"You were never meant to be there." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"We've been over this a couple times now." She retorted irritated that he was still going on about that.

"The spell was meant for InuYasha and this Sesshomaru, Miko." He corrected in a far-off way.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to follow him in his mental journey. He brought his claws up to scratch along the underside of his chin, his eyes fixed off into space.

"The spell was created to dispel youki, but your interference caused an adverse reaction sending us here when we fell through the Bone Eater's well." Sesshomaru continued.

"The well stopped working after I came back to the Feudal era. I tried to travel back through just to see if it would work, but nothing happened." She offered resting her chin on her knees.

"Do you find it strange that you were injured and I was not?" He asked turning to look at her, his eyes searching her face as if to find the answer written there.

"I hadn't really thought about it. Everything happened so fast. I felt her spiritual powers growing in strength and just acted. When I woke up on this side of the well and you were moving about, I thought I had taken the blow for you, but then I couldn't feel your youki." Kagome explained and he turned away.

"Were spiritual powers the only thing you sensed?" He asked curiously and Kagome thought hard.

"No, there was something completely malevolent about the energy. That's what scared me the most." Kagome said honestly and Sesshomaru nodded in understanding.

"I encountered the same feeling when I met her in the forest though the source of her power was hidden from me. The sensation was infinitely stronger in the clearing, but her reiki overshadowed it." He said with a sneer.

"It was the opposite for me. Could she have been a half demon? She did say something about your father. There's no way she could have lived so long if she were human." Kagome asked looking to him for confirmation, but he just shook his head.

"She was human, though it is not impossible that she could have been using demonic powers." He answered his voice floating somewhere in his sea of thoughts again.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Kagome watched him for a time, his eyes moving behind his magenta lids. Every now and again, his lips would twitch in the corners or he would grit his teeth causing the muscles in his jaw to jump and flex. His eyes opened and she thought she heard him sigh. She nibbled her bottom lip waiting for him to speak.

"Sesshomaru?" She asked when he didn't say anything after a few minutes.

"Lie down, Miko." He said coolly and she pursed her lips in annoyance.

They were finally getting along and working together. Figures he'd have to start barking orders. Old habits die hard. Kagome shook her head and unfolded herself, flipping onto her stomach making the bed bounce underneath them.

* * *

Sesshomaru had been surprised that Kagome hadn't put up more of a fight when he strongly suggested she take in his blood. Most humans were repulsed by such things. It had taken her a few moments to decide upon the action, but when she accepted he felt a strange sense of excitement. If the key to the cure was in their blood then it wouldn't be long before he formulated the proper applications to return their powers, but she had felt nothing.

He had been crestfallen, to say the least, but her willingness to try was comforting in an odd way. Of course that sent his mind back to the original attack and her intervention. He tried to figure out why her blood was a catalytic agent and his was not. It made little sense.

He appreciated her willingness to talk about her side of the events prior to their trip to the future. It filled in a few gaps, but there were still key pieces missing from the puzzle. One thing their exchange proved was that their perceptions were drastically conflicting.

She had felt the dark power over Noriko's reiki, whereas he had felt the reiki before anything else. It shouldn't have been that way. A power should have been sensed by potency not by category.

The witch's spiritual powers were unbelievably strong and had forced him into the beginning stages of transformation before they dispersed, but there was more to it than simple reiki, something darker, something Kagome sensed. The dark Miko could have easily incapacitated him if she had wanted to though his death would have been nothing more than an overzealous imagining on her part. Now thinking about it, her actions had been more akin to toying than actual attacks.

Noriko had been trying to weaken him and InuYasha beforehand. Her arrival after they dispatched the horde of lower youkai had been no coincidence. The witch had been planning this for some time it seemed and had bided her time until the right moment. He had sensed the change in the dark Miko's intensions right before Kagome slammed into his chest.

Noriko had told Kagome and her other companions to flee before facing him and the hanyou. He had watched her hide in the bushes just outside of the clearing. It was apparent that the wench, as well as he, had underestimated the tenacity of the young woman lying next to him. He hadn't even sensed Kagome's approach. By then the attack had already been released.

An abrupt realization zipped through his mind like a bolt of lightning. The dark priestess had been able to erect a barrier around herself. That's why he hadn't sensed her properly during their initial meeting and it explained why he hadn't been able to feel the true extent of her power before it was too late. His eyes fell to Kagome, but she had. This tiny onna had tried to shield him.

Sesshomaru shifted his position and pulled up the back of Kagome's sweater revealing her bandages. He watched her bury her face into the pillow to hide herself. She was flushing brightly, her body tense, but she never objected. He made short work of her bandages with his claws and pulled the cloth ribbons away revealing a nearly healed back. His brow furrowed.

There was only one gash that hadn't changed. It was the one he had first tasted the night before. His youkai had not been fully active at the time. The others were mending quickly and several had closed entirely leaving behind pink ribbons trailing along creamy flesh. He traced one with his finger as if to convince himself that it was real. Her skin prickled and she sucked in a sharp breath.

Sesshomaru recalled the moment that Noriko's energy hit them. His arm unintentionally connected with InuYasha's chest when he was propelled backwards, hands holding tightly to his armor, the slight weight of her against him. He remembered falling and Kagome's scream of pain deafening him right before the agony struck him as well, but she was the only one to be physically harmed though the malicious energy encompassed them both.

He lowered his head holding back his hair with one hand and supported his weight on the bed with his other until he was hovering just above her. He took a tentative lick of the remaining raw wound and she tensed further, her arms squeezing into her sides and her hands gripping the pillow.

He felt her blood fizzle on his tongue. Her taste enveloped his senses as they began to spark back to life.

Her breathing increased its tempo when he returned to languidly lave the rented blemish. He closed his eyes to savor the sensations thrumming to the surface. Her heart stuttered in her chest when he reached the underside of her left shoulder blade. He flicked off of the delicate protrusion and could hear her fingers sliding against the soft pillowcase as she adjusted her grip, her breaths caught momentarily in her throat.

Her scent was sweet and fresh like honeysuckles, yes that was the flower that eluded his memory before, but the smell was tainted by her nervousness. Sesshomaru focused his attention on a smaller cut on her right side close to her breast though it didn't reach that far. He heard a muffled whimper.

He could practically taste her soul. It radiated innocence in the purest form. This was her strength. This is what allowed her to purify the vile hanyou and banish the Sacred jewel from this world. This was also her weakness.

Kagome had been injured because of the purity she held within her. Noriko had become twisted and her powers reflected that. Kagome hadn't been able to withstand it. The spell had been made for one of demon blood and would have banished all things demonic, but Kagome was human and the force of the corruption had ripped through her taking her powers and leaving her physically broken. He did not understand why the assault hadn't outright killed her, but that was a subject for another time.

Her skin was knitting together quickly, his youki back in all its wondrous glory. His limbs were no longer heavy and the emptiness inside had been filled. He could hear the cars on the street at the bottom of the hill, Buyo's lazy yawn from the kitchen, a mother scolding her child from an unperceivable distance, but every thundering heartbeat emitted from this girl's chest, every tiny gasp of breath she took was the most resonant and enthralling sounds by far.

His tongue trailed the last inch of open skin feeling it mend under his ministrations signaling the inevitable end to this experiment. He struggled to keep the sadness away from his current euphoria wanting it to last. He swept across the wound until he tasted nothing but her skin…soft, decadent.

He pulled away replacing her shirt and felt his youki begin to recede back into the fathomless void he could not reach on his own. He fought desperately to keep it in place, but was losing the battle miserably.

Kagome stirred beneath him and turned her head to the side peeking up at him over her shoulder. He took her in with his waning heightened senses. He had been wrong before. She was so much more than just pleasant to look at. Her eyes, the colors of the ocean in summer, layered and vibrant, were open and vulnerable with long, framing lashes that fluttered against her prettily flushed cheeks. Her lips were lush and glistening from where she'd nervously moistened them. Had her hair always been that deep onyx?

The void inside him became a chasm and then his youki was gone leaving him bereft once more.

He sat up and raked his fingers through his hair averting his attention to the barren trees outside the bedroom window attempting to recompose himself. She climbed off the bed worrying her lip between her teeth. Her petite form blocked his view momentarily as she started to leave. His hand shot out and enclosed around her wrist without looking at her. She gasped, but did not pull away.

He wanted to say something, to thank her for what she had granted him, to describe what it felt like to be whole again… He wanted to offer her something in return, anything, but his desolation was all consuming and he could not formulate the proper words. She probably wouldn't understand anyway. He let her go and she stood there for a moment before walking away. The door closed softly behind her leaving him alone with his abject thoughts.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to HalfBlackWolfDemon, Miss Undo, GiggleboxGirlie, LoveInTheBattleField, LilyLilah, Silent Lyoness, llebreknit for their reviews.

And to Athena2809, cytl101, ilovechocolate1988, jcroud09, & tattooedteapot for their follows & reviews.

My thoughts go out to those in the Midwest. I'm glad that you and everyone else are okay llebreknit.

Sorry that this chapter is a little anticlimactic. Don't be angry at me. They've made some good progress though.

*smiles hopefully*

More to post soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	21. Chapter 21

_Noriko paced the gardens trying to clear her head of the day's terrible events. It was no secret that the West was under attack, but the fighting was being contained. Lord InuTaishio was an excellent general, but it seemed that the human nobles weren't as convinced. She understood their misgivings, truly she did, but they would hear none of her reasoning. _

_There were threats made and spiteful words given to the priestess who consorted with demons before the men left the fortress grounds. It was most disheartening, but expected. The only thing she could do was weather the storm and keep hope alive just as Lord Masahiro wanted. Lord InuTaishio had vowed to uphold his father's beliefs and she trusted him with every ounce of her soul._

_"Lady Noriko!" Came a small voice following the quiet whispering pitter patter of feet on the grass._

_She turned with a smile to greet her Lord's son. He ran up to her and bowed low in greeting._

_"Master Sesshomaru, it is not proper for one of your station to bow to another." She admonished with a light laugh and Sesshomaru blushed looking contrite._

_"I'm sorry. I forgot." He said offering her an apologetic smile._

_"Think nothing of it, young Master. Just remember your etiquette in court. So, what brings you out here on such a chilly day?" She asked taking a seat in the grass to be more on his level._

_He looked up to the sky scrunching his nose as the wind ruffled his short silver locks._

_"Is it really that cold?" He asked and she nodded. "Humans are so strange." He commented innocently and plopped down in the grass beside her._

_"And demons are not?" She asked playfully tugging his little pointed ear and he smiled big enough to show his fangs._

_"Sesshomaru." A sharp melodic voice called from their left._

_The young Prince jumped to his feet and raced towards his mother holding his arms out wanting to be picked up. It was an endearing sight if his affections were directed toward anyone other than the Western Lady._

_"Don't be so silly, pup." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. _

_His face and arms fell simultaneously._

_It hurt Noriko's heart to see such a thing. He deserved to be loved by his mother not groomed. He still had centuries yet to become the Lord of the West. His childhood was a fleeting thing. Couldn't this female see that? Golden eyes met hers and she averted them. Noriko stood and bowed respectfully._

_"My son, your tutor is waiting for you in the library. Tardiness is unacceptable." Lady Avaka continued and Sesshomaru squared his narrow shoulders._

_"Yes, Mother." He replied dutifully._

_He walked inside at his mother's behest and turned back sneaking in a wave. Noriko gave him a small smile in response before he disappeared. He was an adorable little boy and very bright. He reminded her so much of his father with his ceaseless questions and bubbling curiosity about every little thing._

_"How odd it is for a human to be outside in such weather. You wish to become ill, do you?" Avaka asked boredly inspecting her painted claws._

_"My Lady?" Noriko asked in confusion._

_"Oh, come now. Don't play coy with me, girl. It seems my mate has such a soft spot for weaklings." The Lady answered her eyes pinning Noriko to the spot._

_She felt her blood run cold and couldn't form a legible sentence in her mind. Did she know of her and InuTaishio's past? No, it couldn't be. He had promised never to tell._

_"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Avaka asked following her little comment with jovial laughter knocking Noriko from her momentary stupor._

_"No, my Lady. I just don't understand your meaning." Noriko said keeping her eyes off of the beautiful inu demoness._

_She was trying to pick a fight._

_"I forget how stupid mortals are. Allow me to reword the question to a simpler version for your comprehension. Are you trying to catch the attention of my mate?" She asked slowly, her eyes burning through flesh and bone with a dreadful intensity._

_And there it was._

_"No, my Lady. I am Lord InuTaishio's counselor just as I was for his father." She answered feeling anger rise from within, but kept it contained._

_"Yes, you keep saying that time and again, but yet I cannot help to feel the lie behind those words." Avaka said her voice turning to ice._

_"It is the truth, my Lady." Noriko insisted._

_"Is it? I do wonder. Perhaps I should ask InuTaishio of his feelings. Would that trouble you?" Avaka asked her voice lightening a little with the promise of mischief._

_"If that is what you so desire, but his answer would be no different." Noriko said standing her ground._

_And it wouldn't. InuTaishio had been nothing more than a friend since their tryst many years ago. They were able to speak to one another as understanding equals and discussed many aspects of state, something Avaka was extremely jealous about. _

_Noriko respected his relationship with his mate, as unfitting a match as it was, and he respected her in all things giving her clout enough to govern in his stead should he and the Lady be absent at any point. She was his most trusted vassal, a mantle she wore with no small amount of pride._

_"Hmm, interesting. Thick as thieves, I see." Avaka said waltzing back to the garden entrance._

_She stopped at the doors and turned, her eyes like molten ore, her face set in stone, and her carefully painted lips thinned into a baleful sneer. The chill running down Noriko's spine had nothing to do with the temperature._

_"Just one more thing, human. Stay away from my son. I'll not have his head filled with your filthy spewings." Avaka spat and turned up her nose haughtily before leaving._

* * *

Noriko awoke coughing, her frail body being wracked by haggard jerks. The elder Miko was by her side in an instant. The twin tail had transformed and was assisting Kaede in lifting her head enough to press a cup to her lips. She drank the refreshing liquid greedily before turning her head away and having it placed gently back onto the pillow by Kirara's paw.

"Do ye require anything else?" Kaede asked and Noriko noticed she was in her sleeping yukata.

"Twas nothing but unpleasant dreams. I require nothing further." Noriko answered with a smile she didn't feel.

"Ye seem to have these nightmares most every night. Care to tell an old woman a story?" Kaede asked settling herself beside the futon.

The neko laid down behind the woman and allowed her to rest upon her side comfortably. Noriko pondered the suggestion and shrugged mentally.

"Would it surprise you to know that I knew Sesshomaru as a small child…or pup, as the case may be?"

The way that both Kaede and Kirara gapped at her told her that it did indeed.

"He was nothing like he is now, the human hating wretch." She growled, but stamped down her useless anger. "He used to smile and was so curious about the world around him."

"That is most surprising, but I must say, he is not as harsh as one would believe towards the human race." Kaede said defending the Taiyoukai.

"Just because he has found himself a pet doesn't mean his views on humanity have changed. He's the son his mother molded him to be." Noriko added with a sigh.

"His mother?" Kaede asked in astonishment and Noriko regarded her curiously.

"Yes, his mother. You do not know of the Lady of the West?" Noriko asked astonished.

"No, I had not heard." Kaede said with a shake of her head.

"Ah, now that is a long story indeed. Shall I start from the first time Lady Avaka and I met face to face?" Noriko asked happy to have an audience to unload her troubled thoughts upon, knowing that this woman would pass no judgment.

"Please." Kaede nodded leaning further into the neko's ginger fur.

"It was during a banquet to acquaintance the members of the court with InuTaishio's betrothed. It was an arranged mating, something that had been put into place several years after InuTaishio's birth and long before my service to the West. They had met only a few times in their lives and held little to no common ground, but she was beautiful, the perfect complement to the Western Prince." Noriko shut her eyes allowing the memories to seep to the surface.

She felt her heart constrict painfully at what that day signified, but plucked it away like a weed from one of her gardens.

"Avaka was cold as ice, like her father. They both regarded me as if I were merely an annoying insect. Lord Masahiro defended me of course and even threatened Avaka's father once over their harsh words, but as you well know, respect is earned not freely given."

"Were ye the only one they treated in such a way?" Kaede asked with a yawn.

It was rather late and Noriko felt a twinge of guilt at keeping the elder woman awake, but she continued with her story anyway.

"No. The poor servants were run ragged and I remember that she brought one poor girl to tears that very night with words alone. Horrid woman, she was. Back then, I was still innocent in the ways of the world and I saw her slights as a challenge. I was determined to prove to her my worth. I thought if Lord Masahiro and his son could see that I was useful, so would she given time and understanding." Noriko answered with a self-deprecating laugh.

The servant had been a kitsune, petite with flaming red hair and kind eyes. All she had done was ask Avaka if she would like her plate removed. The degrading tongue lashing the poor thing received had been excruciating to watch and Noriko remembered the sting of her blunt fingernails digging into the flesh of her palms as she struggled to remain quiet about the entire affair.

Finally, the poor fox fled from the room sobbing uncontrollably. Noriko visited her that night in the servant quarters and gave her words of apology which she accepted gratefully. It was not the last time she would have to clean up one of Avaka's messes.

"Did Lady Avaka rise to the challenge?" Kaede asked shaking Noriko out of her relapse.

"It depends on your point of view. To her there was no challenge. To others it was jealously. To others still, I was a meddlesome mortal who had no business in a demon fortress." Noriko answered.

"That changed when Lord Masahiro died." Kaede urged and Noriko nodded.

"Indeed it did, for the entire Western populace that was loyal to Lord Masahiro. His sacrifice was honored and respected without question and, to be frank, it scared me. People were suddenly bending knee to me and falling over themselves as if I were nobility. These things made Avaka very angry even as I struggled to adapt to the unwanted reverence. After InuTaishio's ceremonial coronation, the Western Lands were attacked by the North and I rushed out with my bow to aid in the defense of the nearby villagers. I was attacked and injured. I found out many years later that the demon had been given explicit orders from the Western Lady herself to kill me." Noriko explained.

"And how did ye uncover such information?" Kaede inquired.

"It's a wonder what centuries of patience can accomplish. You see I never forgot his face, the demon I mean, and after my service to the West was completed, I sought him out. I found him in the far south, near a swamp and asked him myself. He confirmed my suspicions and asked for my forgiveness." Noriko answered helpfully.

"Did ye forgive him?" Kaede asked.

"No, but alas, I've trailed off subject. Where was I? Ah, yes. Lord InuTaishio began to involve me in issues concerning the youkai population as well as all things regarding the humans under his control. Avaka was present for every court session and private meeting. She insisted that youkai were superior to humans and that there was no need to regard them as anything other than a meal." Noriko continued.

"Ye mean to say that she ate humans?" Kaede asked aghast.

"Yes, she did, as many demons do, but InuTaishio forbade such practices on his lands. It was discovered well after my departure that she never stopped. She just travelled outside the Western borders to feed and would return as if nothing happened. She was the partial cause of some of the negotiation breakdowns we were experiencing, but of course I was oblivious to it all."

"Was this something she taught Sesshomaru?" The Miko asked curiously.

"My belief would be yes, but not until he had gotten much older. The boy was so adamant for his father's approval that I doubt he would have been receptive to his mother's wishes back then, though I cannot say for certain. Sesshomaru was the son of a great Taiyoukai and those footsteps are hard to follow. I do know that he pushed himself very hard to achieve absolute perfection in every aspect of his life until I was cut off from him."

"Cut off?" Kaede repeated.

"Avaka claimed I was warping his mind and ordered the guards and servants to keep Sesshomaru away from me. InuTaishio was furious, but that caused an even bigger rift between the two mates and fueled Avaka's hatred toward me that much more. Still, she got her way in the end. She always did. You have to understand that these were troubling times for the West. Lord InuTaishio was often away on one campaign or another leaving the Lady as sole ruler in his absence. I lamented those times like no other. It was as if she would constantly try to outdo herself when it came to making me miserable. I can tell you personally that her success rate was exemplary. Never had I met a creature such as her. She was the one to first plant the seeds of hatred in my heart." Noriko finished solemnly.

"I understand to a point. However, hatred is a volatile thing and a choice one makes for themselves. It is not forced." Kaede said wisely rising to her feet with the help of the twin tail.

Noriko turned away from her with a frown. The old Miko's words held truth, of that there was little doubt, but Noriko questioned if she would say the same should the rest of her story be told. InuTaishio's mating to Avaka had been devastating, but not soul crushing as she had originally believed it to be. The flame that she held for the Taiyoukai was never extinguished because he still found need for her in his life, at his side.

Their friendship had meant everything to her. He had meant everything. The sad part was the fact that he knew. He knew her thoughts, her dreams, her fears, her love, everything and he betrayed her without even batting an eyelash. There had been no apologies, not even an excuse for his actions. Avaka had a field day when she found out and it was the first time Sesshomaru degraded her publically for her humanity. It was a day she would never forget and had wished for many centuries that she could.

* * *

A/N: Appreciative as always to my wonderful reviewers creamberries, LilyLilah, LoveInTheBattleField, HalfBlackWolfDemon, GiggleboxGirlie (Sorry I didn't post earlier for you. I just didn't have the time. But I hope this still helps to lift your day. ^_^), & OrihimeKurosakilnoue.

Thank you to everyone else who's taking the time out of their day to read my story & to fave and follow. Kiraka69, Redglade, Melrose437, Okiro, & Srya Evermist you guys are the best.

There will be more Sess & Kag chapters soon I promise. I'm just trying to keep the timeline on all aspects concurrent.

~scattered-dimensions~


	22. Chapter 22

**STAFF OF TWO HEADS!**

Shippo bounded to Rin's rescue while Jaken kept the slithering snake youkai at bay. InuYasha was busy hacking away at the enormous clan leader. They had been traveling through the Western lands for over a week and the closer they had gotten to Bokuseno, the more opposition they encountered. This was the second attack today.

"Shippo, look out!" Rin cried.

Shippo's head snapped up staring directly into the cottoned mouth of one of the larger serpents. Its fangs dripped with venom causing the ground at Shippo's paws to smoke. He smirked and pulled out a toy from one of his pockets. He waited until his opponent descended before leaping into the air.

**SPINNING TOP!**

His tool of illusion expanded instantly drilling the snake's head into the soft forest floor. Shippo landed next to Rin and grabbed her hand pulling her toward Ah-Un. He urged her up on the dragons' back as fast as he could.

"Only land when it's safe." He told her before patting one of the dragon's haunches.

She didn't have chance to argue before Ah-Un took flight whisking his charge into the safety of the clouds. There was a crack of a branch behind him and Shippo turned, his eyes flying wide and his paws propelling him backwards. There were ten…_Count 'em ten!_... snakes slithering in his direction.

Shippo scrambled in reverse until he found the courage to turn his back on the rhumba. Their tails rattled to life signaling their commitment to the chase. Shippo bounded over roots and sidestepped a tree blocking his path. He jerked Jaken up by the back of his robes and lugged the dumbfounded toad behind him.

"InuYasha!" Shippo yelled risking a glance over his shoulder while Jaken struggled to keep up.

He saw the hanyou slice through the clan leader's head like molten butter, a geyser of green blood spurted forth, and gore rained down on the treetops. InuYasha landed in a crouch, Tetsusaiga held out at a tangent. He stood upright grasping the fang's frayed hilt in both hands pointing it directly at them. Shippo heard a snap and felt his tail begin to burn. He yelped and pumped his legs harder. Jaken stumbled and Shippo growled in frustration.

"Move it, slimy, or I'll leave you as snake bait!" Shippo yelled and Jaken's flippers found immediate purchase.

Shippo let go of Jaken the moment he passed the tip of Tetsusaiga and skidded to a halt behind InuYasha, his chest heaving and his hands braced on his knees. Jaken was leaning heavily on his staff, sweat beading on his brow.

InuYasha widened his stance, his toes digging into the soggy moss. He raised his nose to the air and his ears swiveled on his head. Shippo looked up and saw Ah-Un flying directly overhead, Rin looking over the saddle with large eyes. InuYasha growled and lifted Tetsusaiga. Ah-Un ascended into the clouds again.

**"Kaze no Kizu!"**

The demon fang dropped forward and a swath of golden youki cut through the air rolling over itself to reach their enemies. The serpents were reduced to dark shadowy outlines in the brightness of the attack, parts of them began breaking apart until the energy faded and nothing was left.

"Keh." InuYasha sheathed Tetsusaiga. "Alright, you can land now."

Ah-Un touched down just behind them and Rin slid off the saddle. Her feet set into a run the moment she touched the ground. She ran up to Jaken and pulled him into a crushing hug. The kappa squawked and tried to shove her away.

"I was so scared for you, Master Jaken." She said setting him down.

"I'm a demon, Rin. Nothing can harm me." Jaken replied smugly smoothing the wrinkles out of his robes.

"Guess you didn't need me to save you, huh?" Shippo asked smartly slapping the toad on the back.

"Save?…You threatened to leave me behind!" Jaken yelled pointing his staff at the kitsune accusingly.

"Look at my tail! I'm gonna have to cut out the burnt parts because of you, slow poke!" Shippo fussed pulling his singed tail around for emphasis.

"That's not my fault. If you hadn't…" Jaken started.

"Shut it. Everyone's okay, right?" InuYasha asked his golden eyes scanning the little group.

There was a round of nods.

"Good. Now, get the hell on that dragon. We've got to get out of here before more show up." InuYasha said crossing his arms.

Shippo turned taking Rin's proffered hand. He snickered at the look Ah-Un was giving their rough leader. Rin covered her mouth with her finger and made a shushing motion, her lips tilting into a smile. The two demons climbed up on the double dragon after Rin and they followed InuYasha who had his nose to the air again.

"This way." He waved and took off through the trees.

* * *

They landed on the ledge of a rocky outcrop surrounded by thick, jungle like growth. InuYasha was busy testing the weight of a boulder near the entrance to a cave.

"Why are we stopping here? We've still got another couple hours before nightfall?" Shippo asked curiously.

"No moon tonight, remember?" InuYasha grunted rolling the mammoth rock towards the entryway.

Shippo hopped out of his way and watched as InuYasha came to a stop leaving a gap large enough for Ah-Un to slip through. He dusted his hands off and walked inside. He stopped at the darkened entrance and looked over his shoulder.

"You coming or what, runt?" InuYasha asked and Shippo nodded once lighting his hands with foxfire.

The cave was decently sized and enclosed on all sides. There was one area that had water dripping from the ceiling. Roots and vines covered the walls here and there, but otherwise it looked relatively vacant. Shippo sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. This place hadn't been used in a very long time. The mold had gotten out of control.

"Where do you want me to set the fire? A lot of this stuff could burn and over there is too damp?" Shippo asked seriously.

"Hold on." The hanyou said scratching his head in contemplation.

InuYasha walked over to the curved wall near the mouth of the cave and began pulling up the creepers and the stubborn roots leaving a light layer of dirt behind. He piled up the brushed near the back of the cave and poked his head outside.

"Oi, toad, bring 'em in." InuYasha ordered.

Shippo heard Jaken grumbling under his breath as he led Ah-Un inside. Rin was suspiciously absent and InuYasha noticed immediately, his frame going rigid and his hand flying reflexively to Tetsusaiga. Shippo extinguished his hands and ran up to his friend before he could take a step.

"I'll go get her." Shippo didn't wait for InuYasha's permission before he left.

Rin wasn't far off and he could smell her tears on the wind. She tried to keep it hidden from everyone, but Shippo knew. He never said anything and Jaken was just bad at comforting the girl, something the kappa knew all too well. He kept his beak shut most times and Shippo was grateful. He probably would have kicked him square in his bald, green head if he would have upset Rin any further.

She was taking Sesshomaru's absence hard and some of it was because of the vague answers she was getting about Kagome's village. They still hadn't told her exactly what the significance of the well was and Shippo didn't know why InuYasha wouldn't let him put the girl's mind at ease. Rin was convinced something terrible had happened to her Lord, but any time Shippo would try and tell her differently, he wound up with a headache and once he was knocked out cold.

Stupid InuYasha. For a half demon he had pretty good hearing.

"Rin?" Shippo said getting the forlorn girl's attention.

She sniffled pitifully and her hands rose to her face. She swiped at it frantically as a sob broke free and she hit her knees, her head bowed and her shoulders shaking unable to control her emotional upheaval. Shippo didn't know what had caused this sudden uprising. She'd never been this upset before. If Jaken said something…Oooh, he was going to be hurting for the rest of his life.

"What's wrong?" Shippo asked placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I kn-know th-this pl-place." She stuttered.

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously.

"L-Lord Sessh…" Her explanation broke off as a heartbreaking sob clawed its way from her throat.

"It's okay, Rin. You don't have to tell me." He sympathized rubbing her arm.

She lifted her head and began wiping her face with the backs of her hands again. Her nose was red and her eyes were beyond puffy. There was no way Shippo would be able to help cover it up this time. InuYasha would know, though he suspected that the hanyou hadn't missed one single tear the girl cried. He was more observant than people thought and Shippo had the knots to prove it.

"No, I have to…talk about it. Lord Sesshomaru…used to bring us here…during the hunt…for Naraku." She hiccupped.

"Is it a safe area?" Shippo asked his eyes lifting to the evening sky.

"Mm-hm. He'd stay in the cave with us all night. We came here a lot, but when Kagome…"

Now it was Shippo's turn to get emotional.

He was fine until someone mentioned Kagome or if they would stop for the night, or meal breaks, or breaks for Rin to relieve herself, or when he would look at the blue sky, or when InuYasha would be nice, or when InuYasha was being mean, or every time Rin brushed her dark, waist length hair until it shimmered just right in the sunlight like his beloved mother figure's used to.

He blinked rapidly forcing his tears into submission.

"I'm sorry, Shippo. I didn't mean to upset you." Rin apologized and Shippo gave her a smile though he didn't really feel it on the inside.

"We'll get them back…InuYasha needs us inside. We got chores to do before the sun sets." Shippo said changing the subject his gloom replaced by the duties he had to perform.

"Why before the sun sets? We've never had to do that before." She asked confused and Shippo gave a nervous chuckle.

"Might want to ask InuYasha that one." He said walking through the entrance ahead of her.

"Ask me what?" The hanyou confronted, his hands pushed into his sleeves.

"What you need us to do." Shippo answered before Rin could open her mouth.

She shot him a glare and he shrugged. Shippo wasn't taking this lightly. InuYasha was going to turn human tonight and that meant Shippo would have to step up as the group's protector. He didn't want this conversation to take place until that boulder was closed. There were too many demons lurking around these parts and he didn't know if any were specifically after InuYasha or not, but it couldn't hurt to take extra precautions. It had been a very trying week after all.

"You got one hour to bring back everything we need for the night. Once that rock goes into place, nobody leaves. I'll get dinner. Ah-Un stay with Rin at all times." The dragon nodded its heads and growled in understanding then InuYasha left.

"I'll get the firewood and you can get the water, Rin. It'll be easier for you with Ah-Un's help. We'll set everything up after we've brought it all back. Jaken, you're with me. I'll need you to help me carry the wood. It'll cut down on time." Shippo ordered reveling in his unofficial role as second in command.

* * *

There wasn't much discussion around the fire during dinner. Rin kept glancing up at InuYasha only to avert her eyes the moment he looked her way. It must have really got on the hanyou's nerves because he snapped at her, something he rarely did. She didn't look at him again and considering their current predicament, Shippo didn't say anything. InuYasha was always testy on this night of the month. He'd overheard Kagome telling Sango once that it was like he had women troubles. Whatever that meant.

InuYasha retreated to the very back of the cave and laid Tetsusaiga against his shoulder as the change came over him. Jaken's beak fell open and his eyes bulged to unnatural proportions as he watched InuYasha's white dog ears retreat to the proper place of a human's and his hair darkened along with his eyes. Rin remained silent, just watching with a knowing look that shocked Shippo.

"You knew?" Shippo asked quietly and Rin nodded.

"I figured it out when you told me to ask him instead of giving me an outright answer." She whispered with a breathy giggle.

"I can still hear you guys." InuYasha grumbled from the shadows.

Rin took a seat next to the now human InuYasha. He looked away from her, his brown eyes scanning something on the opposite stone wall. Shippo took up a sentry position at the sealed cave entrance fully prepared to do anything necessary to keep everyone safe. InuYasha had taught him well.

"Does it hurt?" Rin asked.

"Some." InuYasha grunted.

"How do you feel?" She continued.

"Human." He replied tersely.

"Oh. Are you tired?" She pried and InuYasha growled weakly.

"You gonna keep asking me a bunch of stupid questions?" He inquired irritatedly.

Rin ducked her head and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Sorry." She said meekly.

InuYasha sighed in resignation.

"Me, too. I just hate this. It ain't your fault, kid." He said patting the top of her head.

Rin just nodded and remained silent. Ah-Un sauntered over and laid down next to the two humans. They nuzzled the top of Rin's head and she smiled reaching up to give them both a pat on their unfettered muzzles.

"I've never seen a hanyou transform before. I've read about it, of course, but the descriptions were very vague." She stated quietly.

"Satisfied?" InuYasha asked sounding offended.

"It's rather remarkable, you know. I've seen Shippo transform and Hachi, Miroku's friend, but this is something very different. I wonder what Lord Sesshomaru would look like if he were human." Rin mused.

InuYasha's head swiveled to look at her with large eyes right before he barked laughter.

"What?" Rin asked her eyes wide in surprise.

InuYasha waved her off and wrapped his other arm around his middle, his chortles becoming painful.

"What's so funny?" Rin asked bewildered.

"Rin! Don't say such things. Lord Sesshomaru would never become human. He's a strong and powerful demon, even more so than his father. Saying that he would become mortal is a great insult." Jaken admonished from his seat next to the fire and InuYasha's laughter died instantly.

That was another thing they hadn't told Rin. She knew bits and pieces of the whole story, but InuYasha had thought it best to keep her in the dark about most things especially about the fact that Sesshomaru was probably mortal. Shippo knew the hanyou didn't want to worry the girl any more than he had to and was so determined that he would be able to get the well to work again that he never considered the possibility of this conversation ever coming up.

The way Rin was staring at the human version of InuYasha didn't strike Shippo as passively curious. She'd caught on to the dense hanyou's slipup. Shippo cringed internally.

* * *

The recollection of Noriko's words crashed into InuYasha like a tsunami. He looked over to Rin who was watching him intently, no doubt wondering why his mood had changed so quickly. He pushed his hands through his hair and sighed heavily.

All this needed to come out eventually and now was probably the best time. The cave was sealed and there was nowhere for Rin to run off and get hurt if she got upset. Scratch that. _When_ she got upset. It wasn't like he was in the shape to go chasing after her.

That, however, was a double edged sword. InuYasha would have nowhere to run either to escape the inevitable emotional thunderstorm he was about to invoke. Rin being upset was bad enough, but Jaken's reaction was bound to be the worst. Human hearing or not, the toad could get painfully shrill when it came to his lamentations over his beloved Lord.

"There's a few things that I need to tell you." InuYasha started looking down at Rin's open face.

He slapped himself mentally. This was going to be harder than he thought. InuYasha looked towards Shippo instead. The kit nodded his approval. He should have listened to the little fox from the beginning.

"What is it, InuYasha?" Rin encouraged her voice so trusting that it made InuYasha feel three inches tall.

"We know exactly where Kagome and Sesshomaru are, but I don't think you will like what I gotta say." He began and Rin's brow furrowed her face taking on a guarded expression.

"What?! How dare you withhold that kind of information?! I should…" Jaken screeched shaking his staff in InuYasha's direction.

"That's enough, Master Jaken. Let them speak." Rin said authoritively, her time with Sesshomaru showing through.

The kappa's beak snapped shut and InuYasha gulped. He hadn't been expecting that. It kind of reminded him of Kagome, who would sit him into oblivion at the drop of a hat for next to nothing, and Sango, who was married to the perverted monk, but still slapped him around for his wandering hand. Then there was Kiyou who loved him and would get so angry at him when he tried to protect her saying it was her job to destroy Naraku. Were all women like this? Kami, he hoped not.

"We told you they are in Kagome's village and that's the truth, but Kagome lives on the other side of the Bone Eater's well." Shippo explained carefully his eyes darting back and forth between InuYasha and Rin.

InuYasha held his breath waiting for Rin to speak. She blessedly turned those assessing eyes on the kit giving him a modicum of relief.

"How is that possible?" She asked seriously.

"Kagome was born 500 years in the future. She traveled back through time because of the Shikon jewel that was embedded in her body. It closed up again after Kagome returned. We think Noriko's spiritual powers sent them back through the well." Shippo explained and InuYasha watched as Rin's eyes narrowed familiarly.

_'Yeah, definitely too much time spent with his ass-wipe of a half-brother._'

"InuYasha can't get through like he used to. It's sealed up. Bokuseno might be able to help us with that if he knows anything about the spell Noriko cast. We didn't mean to lie to you, Rin, honest. We just didn't know how you would handle it." Shippo said nervously taking part ownership of the omission that rightfully belonged to InuYasha.

Rin pursed her lips and her brow furrowed. Jaken took several steps back until his retreat was impeded by the cave's wall, once there he attempted to flatten himself against the stone. InuYasha nodded watching her closely. He didn't like the toad's reaction.

"So, you're saying that Lord Sesshomaru is 500 years in the future with no way back." She asked in a calm, controlled manner.

Shippo's head bobbed in affirmation. InuYasha didn't need his youkai senses to tell that Shippo was beyond edgy.

"What type of bewitchment was it? A hex?" Rin asked again, her tone turning dark her brown eyes brooding.

"Depends on how you look at it." InuYasha muttered and Rin gave him a look that sent shivers down his spine.

_'Wow. She had that down to an art.'_

"She said it was meant to strip his youki and leave him mortal." Shippo blurted in a panic giving InuYasha an apologetic shrug and everyone turned expectant, wary eyes on the petite girl in their company.

Rin's face contorted in anger and she stood abruptly, her fists clenched at her sides, and her entire body shaking violently. She stomped out in front of InuYasha blocking his view from everyone else and reared her foot back. She kicked InuYasha square in the shin, her boot making a muffled thud against mortal bone. The hanyou yelped and grasped his leg.

"What the hell, Rin?!" InuYasha yelled rubbing the targeted area that was starting to bruise already.

"That's for lying to me! This whole time I thought Lord Sesshomaru was seriously injured because he hadn't returned from this far away village of Kagome's, but I knew she'd take care of him and they would come back!" She shouted waving a finger in the hanyou's face.

InuYasha sat there and took it cradling his bent abused leg to his chest. If he had his dog ears, they'd be flat against his skull by now out of shear shame alone. He hadn't expected to feel this shitty about lying to her. He honestly thought he had done the right thing, thought that he had been protecting her.

"Now I find out that I may never see him again because I'll be long dead! I deserved to know something like that! He's my fath…How could you?" Her voice dropped to a whispered sob on the last broken sentence.

InuYasha opened his mouth to say something, but she threw up a hand to silence him, her bottom lip quivering ominously. She stalked away to sit next to Jaken and Ah-Un followed loyally giving InuYasha sympathizing looks. Shippo scurried close to Rin, his face openly repentant.

"Rin, we're sorry." Shippo tried, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me." She seethed shrugging it off.

Rin laid down on her side facing the stone wall and allowed Jaken to pet her hair comfortingly. Shippo retreated back to his post, his tail drooping dejectedly.

"You'll see him again, Rin. I swear." InuYasha said solemnly.

The only reaction he got was a shake of the head from the kappa and the heart wrenching sounds coming from Rin. Nothing else was said that night.

* * *

A/N: Poor Rin. InuYasha really is a baka (albeit a warm hearted baka) and he's pulling ol' Shippo down with him. *sighs & shakes her head*

Thank you LilyLilah, GiggleboxGirlie, OrihimeKurosakilnoue, Miss Undo, & HalfBlackWolfDemon for their reviews. Also my appreciation goes to allanimationlover (for your fave as well), animeaddict718, & lwahner for their follows.

Naturally all of the readers are included. ^_^

Next chapter is all Kags & Sess.

Until next time,

~scattered-dimensions~


	23. Chapter 23

Kagome had tried to be patient with Sesshomaru, especially after she had hit him, her own guilt eating away at her for the undignified action of her traitorous hand, but she was feeling her tolerance wear thin and all the failed attempts at trying to get back through the well weren't helping.

Sesshomaru had become restless and was a constant annoyance asking questions about Miko powers. Wanting to know about the various abilities she had, which were next to nothing because there were no priestesses on this side of the well and she had only just started her training with Kaede.

That admission had only proved to make the Taiyoukai angry, but didn't stop his inquiries. He began asking questions about Kikyou and Kaede. He went as far as to get her to check out several books on priestesses and studied them with a growing fervor, his pen to paper every night formulating theories.

Sesshomaru had made it perfectly clear that she needed to fix herself so that he could go home and apparently that involved rubbing her nose in all the things she couldn't do. It wasn't uncommon that the dinner table would be a roundhouse discussion. Most nights it was just Sesshomaru and her grandfather exchanging stories. It was odd how much Sesshomaru paid attention to the old man. Kagome had always thought the legends her beloved Gramps tried to tell her about were just a bunch of hogwash, but Sesshomaru had told her a lot of it held merit. Huh, go figure.

Naturally, the discussions opened up a slew of questions directed at her.

_"That's cool, sis. Can you do that?"_

_"No."_

_"Amazing. I bet you were safe all the time using barriers. Are they very difficult to conjure, honey?"_

_"Well, uh..hehe..."_

_"Spiritual powers have been in this family's bloodline for countless generations. Kagome is the guardian of the Shikon jewel and my granddaughter. I'm sure that she could purify an entire army of youkai in one fell swoop."_

_"Not really."_

Sesshomaru dragged her off the couch every morning at dawn and would instruct her to meditate outside in the freezing cold. Any time she lost her concentration, she got rapped on the wrist by two claw tipped fingers like some petulant child. She let that behavior slide the first three days, but when he smacked her on the fourth she slapped his hand back. His response had been a very sharp and pointed cuff to the back of her head followed by _'You were warned against such actions, Miko' _in that even, passive, infuriating tone of his.

She had been so angry at the hypocrite that she locked him out of the house and decided to take a nap in her own bed just to irritate him. Of course her mother intervened thinking they were having a tiff, and they were, she just didn't know about the details. She let Sesshomaru inside and fed him like Kagome knew she would. Kagome had listened to their muffled voices downstairs unable to actually rest properly because of her turbulent emotions. All thanks to him.

When he found her upstairs, Kagome had hoped he'd have the whole Papa Bear syndrome about the human Goldilocks' scent marring his place of rest and had feigned sleep just to hear his expected grumbling reaction, but it didn't happen that way. He simply covered her up to her chin and drew the curtains closed to block out the light leaving her in peace. She forgave him the very instant her bedroom door closed and the next day there was no rap to her wrist because her focus was sound and infallible.

That was also the day he suggested trying the well again. At the time, it sounded like a good idea. They tried every possible jumping combination, including her hanging onto his armor in the same manner she had on the day of the attack which was...awkward. It didn't work, but did Sesshomaru give up? No. He just relocated their meditation sessions to the bottom of the well, which was ten degrees colder than her backyard, but there was no wrist striking so she humored him.

Yesterday, he tried using Bakusaiga and she had witnessed the sword reject its master in a green tempest of crackling youki that she could not sense for the life of her, but Sesshomaru stubbornly held onto it even as his hand began to smoke. He released it only after their feet hit the dirt bottom of the still inactive well. He had blisters, parts of his skin missing, and couldn't bend his fingers properly, but never once did he complain.

Instead, he shoved the sword into the dirt and made her sit near it. She was instructed to concentrate solely on its youki. They both hoped that she would be able to feel its awesome power if she just tried hard enough. And try she did, almost to the point of giving herself a nose bleed, but it was useless. She hadn't felt anything. Sesshomaru left her there in a broody fit to go sulk in the sanctity of her room. He even locked the door.

Kagome knew Sesshomaru had to be pretty upset to just leave Bakusaiga like that. She had pity on him and warded everyone away him while he collected himself.

She had to use a series of towels to drag the blade out of the well because she didn't want it to come into contact with her own mortal self and end up like Sesshomaru. Just her luck she'd wind up with burns on her rear from slinging it over her shoulder and her derriere's discomfort would cause the wrist slapping to ensue all over again.

At the end of the day, her butt wasn't deformed and she even got a small smile out of the memory of Shippo that barely overrode the pain of their separation. So, it hadn't been all bad.

This morning, he woke her bright and early, but insisted she eat first. He refused the cold bowl of cereal she offered him and sat across from her patiently waiting. It was an odd turn of events. Normally, they were already out the door, but he had explained that she _'would need her strength.'_ Four hours later, she figured out why.

He had used the towels to replace Bakusaiga at his side and waltzed right out the back door towards the well house. When they got there she watched him open it with his left hand and before she could take one step inside, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, lifting her clear off her feet, pinning her to his armor covered chest, and jumped into the darkened hole. They landed with a thud and he set her down pushing her behind him then assuming a protective stance.

She watched him copy the previous day's events from around his arm. Sesshomaru didn't bother giving her an explanation as to why he was intentionally harming himself again, but the sheer determination etched into the lining of his jaw told her to keep her questions to herself. The sword reacted violently once again and he plunged it into the ground, only this time he sat with her and meditated, their knees touching on either side of the blade.

Her concentration had been broken by a light frustrated growl and the whispering of silk. She opened her eyes to see that the sun had risen well over head and a very aggravated Taiyoukai towering over her. He didn't even wait until she was fully steady on her feet before pulling her too him, positioning her back flush with his chest. He held her still with one arm and lifted Bakusaiga from the dirt before she could protest.

He forced her right hand to enclose around his corresponding wrist that held the balking Bakusaiga and Kagome could admit the reluctance in having her fingers so close to the searing heat of the fluctuating youki. She thought to move away, but he caged her in with his arms, bringing his free hand up to encompass the other before she could move out of his grasp.

She could smell his flesh burning and tried to pry his hands off the weapon, but when she felt the raw energy burn her own fingers, she pulled away and he growled.

_'Put them back and concentrate.'_ He told her, the strain in his voice alone had her seizing his stripped wrists without further qualms.

She established connection with that higher plane and forced herself to ignore his heaving chest at her back and the rigidness of his strong, defined forearms, but when she heard a faint, barely audible whimper, she broke the cycle. She scorched her hands forcing his fingers to let go of Bakusaiga's hilt and he didn't argue with her over it. The sword clattered uselessly to the ground and she ignored her own injuries in favor of inspecting his.

The skin on his palms had come off in sheets, making his original wounds that much worst. How he had withstood that kind of pain was beyond her. Kagome sighed knowing that they were going to have to make another trip to the hospital before realizing that they would both have to use their hands to climb out of the well to get there.

She expressed her thoughts and he decided that he could make it up the ladder without her assistance and why not? He'd done all kinds of reckless things thus far. Why not get splinters in his open and freely bleeding wounds as well?

Her injuries weren't as bad as she thought, but it still hurt to bend her knuckles and to outright touch anything. She wrapped up Bakusaiga in the towels anyway and drug it up behind her like she had the day before. She flung the weapon over the rim of the well and hoisted herself up finding Sesshomaru sitting on the edge staring down at his grizzly palms. She sat next to him in silence while he hopefully was berating himself for being foolish so she wouldn't have to do it later.

Kagome kicked herself mentally. Boy, she was in a piss poor mood. That wasn't how she would usually describe a bad day or even a bad week, but this one had been a doozy and only a vulgar term straight from InuYasha's mouth would suffice to describe it properly. Kagome's smile was bittersweet.

An elbow nudging her arm broke her from her musings. She looked up at the golden eyes peering down at her and could see another round of questions just below the surface. She sighed and reaffirmed her patience. She had no right to be so ill at him. He was doing everything in his power to get them back and had, oddly enough, assimilated into the family like a normal person. She was just frustrated nothing had worked so far. That didn't mean it was hopeless nor was it his fault. It was hers. She was the one not working properly.

"Show me your hands, Miko." He instructed and she did as she was told holding her reddened fingers up for his inspection.

There were a few places that had been singed deep enough to draw blood and several more blisters. The majority of the damage had been around the very tips of her fingers and the outer knuckles from where Bakusaiga's energy buffeted her hands. Kagome had the sudden urge to run outside and shove her hands in the melting snow. It was as if the acknowledgment of the weeping flesh had unlocked a secret level of pain she didn't have before. He studied the appendages for a short time then nodded. She placed them back in her lap trying to will away her discomfort.

"Sesshomaru, we really do need to get you to the hospital. Those burns are terrible." She told him.

"Will you allow this Sesshomaru to tend your wounds?" He asked instead and she knew that it was probably a good idea.

Her blood held the secret key to unlocking his youki and the properties in his saliva were the best cure for her. It was tried, tested, and approved. She slid off the rim and walked in front of him holding up her hands to his face expectantly. His tongue parted his lips to moisten the finely sculpted tiers, raking over them almost teasingly so. She felt her heart stick in her throat and heat rush to her face. Her shoes were very interesting all of a sudden.

"In the well, Miko." He said ignoring her offer and, hopefully, her embarrassment.

She swung her legs back over the wooden lip and hopped down with him following close behind her. Kagome was secretly impressed with herself when she landed on her feet and didn't stumble. Their landings had gotten pretty routine and nearly picture perfect with all their practice.

Sesshomaru invaded her space almost immediately. She had to lift her hands up to reach his mouth considering the fact that he didn't look prepared at all to bend down to her level. She felt very uncomfortable just standing there and when he leaned forward to place his lips around the forefinger of her left hand, she had to avert her eyes.

Her skin broke out into goose bumps and she shivered when he began to suckle on the appendage rolling his tongue around it paying close attention to her injuries.

She was sure she was red as a flaming cherry at this point, but decided silence to be her best course of action. She attempted to focus on something other than the tormenting mouth wrapped around her fingers, but that image pretty much trumped anything she tried to come up with leaving her ensnared in this incredibly awkward and confusing situation.

His lips slid off of her finger and suckled another between those sinful lips repeating the same actions. Her toes curled and she found herself feeling a little swimmy headed. What in the world was wrong with her and why was it so dang hot all of a sudden?

He took his time on each nick and burn, using his tongue to soothe away any pain she had and by the time he brought his own healed hands around her right wrist, she was knock-kneed and quivering uncontrollably. The arrogant jerk had the audacity to flash her a smug smile right before he resumed his work on her other hand causing her stomach to flutter which only added to her distress.

He had to wrap his arm around her waist to hold her up by the time he made it to her middle finger. Her benedict legs had given out completely and she was having a hard time catching her breath. She'd never felt so…so…well, she didn't know, but a part of her was enjoying the attention very much and the other half was absolutely mortified. She was having difficulties formulating rational thoughts. The only thing her rattled mind could register was the warm, moist organ caressing her skin.

She rested her forehead against his chest plate, her muscles long since turned to mush. An involuntary moan slipped out of her mouth when he laved the pad of her thumb. She screwed her eyes shut and prayed he hadn't heard it, but knew better. The heat in her cheeks spread until she could feel the flames licking at the flesh of her scalp.

She was acutely aware of how smooth and warm his palm was against her skin and of the substantial size difference between them. His fingers thick, strong, elegant, completely enveloping her ordinary, plain, clumsy digits. The top of her head barely reached the spikes on his armor and his chest was so broad. She could almost picture the rippling muscles behind the layers of hardened hide and flowing silk.

Her wayward thoughts added to the intense pressure building up inside. She felt him twist her hand just so and when he flicked his tongue over a random burn on her wrist, she thought her head was going to explode.

"Hey sis, Mom wants to know if you're going out to town. She needs a few things from the market and Gramps is out in the shed looking for some heirloom sake for dinner." There was a laugh and then a light appeared above them. "Mom's trying to talk him out of it. I bet that stuff would make you blind."

Kagome's mental faculties and strength returned in a miraculous instant. She shoved Sesshomaru away, or more like shoved herself away from the immovable object that was Sesshomaru, placing a healthy distance between them while she tried to catch her breath and force the well to quit spinning.

"What are you two doing down there?" Souta asked a smile clear in his voice as the beam of his flashlight landed first on her then Sesshomaru, whose eyes had never strayed from her.

"Nothing…Sure I'll go to the store. Are you coming Sesshomaru? If not you could always stay here and help dissuade my Grandfather from trying to poison us over dinner. Or maybe you want to let Souta…." She rambled forcing her legs to move up the rope ladder to her blessed interfering little brother who was grinning from ear to ear making her anxiety that much more potent.

"This Sesshomaru would like to accompany you, Miko." He said from below her, his voice deeper than she had ever heard it, almost a purr.

She missed the rung she was aiming for.

"You okay, sis? Here, let me help." Souta offered genuinely, reaching out his hand.

She took it and allowed him to pull her up the rest of the way immediately regretting it the second he spoke.

"Gods, Kagome your face is all red and you're acting all nervous and stuff. Did he kiss you or something?" Souta asked trying to hold back his snickers.

She heard the sound of whishing silk on silk signaling Sesshomaru's emergence from the well and thought she heard an accompanying breathy snort-like sound behind her, but chalked it up to her imagination.

_Sesshomaru didn't laugh especially about putting his mouth on a human._

Her facial temperature increased a thousand degrees, if that was even physically possible.

_He didn't smile during weird, nerve melting healing experiments either. _

_'GAH! Shut up!'_

Souta started laughing outright and she punched him in the shoulder ceasing his festivities as he grabbed the assaulted spot.

"What was that for?" He whined.

Kagome stomped past the teenager not even bothering to grace him with an answer.

* * *

A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

Thank you llebreknit, GiggleboxGirlie, LoveInTheBattleField, & Miss Undo for their reviews and to hemiyami for the follow. Also to all the readers as well.

More to post soon.

~scattered-dimensions~


	24. Chapter 24

It seemed like the more Sesshomaru was around the tiny Miko, the more it felt like all the doors in his perfectly controlled, fully compartmentalized mind were being bashed open leaving his thoughts in a riotous clutter and he couldn't figure out when the process started or why it was happening at all.

Their little session in her room had forced him to acknowledge her in a strange way. She had earned a margin of respect from the way she had stood up for herself. It was clear she was intimidated by him to a certain degree, but she held her own. The truly confounding moment had been when he set his tongue upon her. There had been something damn near primal about her being awake and privy to his every movement and it had shaken him to the core.

He'd tasted many things in his life, humans being one of them in his younger years, a practice he abandoned on principality and because most mortals carried a stench, but Kagome was nothing like that. There were layers to her blood that could only be compared to spiritual enlightenment.

He presumed it was because of the sensation of redeveloping his youki, a feeling more akin to being reborn within the same body, and the gratitude he felt towards her for it. His heightened senses registered every single detail about the little onna and had him appreciating more than just her fortitude.

He was so physically close to her during the entire process that it was only logical that she overshadow the world around him and he had no problems admitting she tasted divine, but to seriously consider whether or not her hair had been the same shade of ebony without his demon sight as it was in that particular moment was an earth shattering wake up call.

He didn't realize any of this, of course, until well after he turned in for the night and laid his head upon the pillow that she had been clutching as a lifeline. Her scent was strong even though his youki had no involvement in amplifying the aroma and he felt an entire mental corridor explode expelling centuries of rigid indoctrinations into the forefront of his mind causing him to question everything he had ever known. It had been a hair-raising experience, one that fueled his determination to find a way back through the well that much more.

His calculating first step was to gather all available information about the Miko's abilities before she lost her spiritual powers. Unfortunately, her control had been virtually nonexistent, save for being able to detect jewel shards, the occasional ominous aura, and shoot off purification arrows, none of which were relevant to their situation. He had then begun to question her on the undead priestess' abilities and those of the old Miko's in Edo during their several trips to the library. Once he'd exhausted Kagome's reserves, he moved on to her grandfather finding the man to be incredibly knowledgeable about such things.

His next course of action had been laid out before him. Kagome needed to learn self-control and find her center. She was too undisciplined having lacked the proper training a Miko of her standing should have received since childhood. He went about it the only way he knew how, placing her in a highly distracting environment and guiding her in the steps it would take to release her mind from its worldly shackles.

When she would fail, he would reprimand her in the same manner his father had when he was a pup, but it had only made her angry which had been expected. He was honestly surprised that it had taken her four days to retaliate, but when she did, he held true to his promise. The slap to the back of her head was gentle in comparison to what he was really capable of and it hadn't even caused her to shift the slightest inch.

That's when she locked him out of the house. He knew it was because of her childish tendencies, but it angered him anyway. Akira had soothed his riled emotions with a hot cup of tea and pleasant conversation. He had regained some semblance of amicability before ascending the stairs fully prepared to lecture the Miko on running from her problems, that hiding wasn't going to change anything, only to discover her asleep, wrapped up in the very same blankets he used every night.

Just the sight of her dark, thigh length hair fanned out over the pillow, the innocent way she had her fist balled up under her chin, and her delicate features relaxed and utterly serene caused his resolve to melt completely away. He decided to just let her rest and adjusted the lighting in the room for her comfort, not giving his mind a chance to replay the event until much later. He had spent the remainder of the day in the company of her family and found them to be quite entertaining when they were all in the same room.

That night had been filled with troubling thoughts and even more disturbing surges in his instincts that were unabashedly trying to push him toward the Miko in a way he did not wish to even acknowledge fully. He tossed and turned trying to dispel the pathos plaguing him, but her enticing scent surrounded him keeping him awake and ever alert to her presence just down a menial flight of wooden stairs. He elected to sleep on the floor well away from the bed.

The fifth day had been an enlightening one. She had finally mastered her mental willpower, at least in the lowest sense. It encouraged him to take the next step. They tried jumping down into the well just like they had his first week here. His reluctance to touch her had faded opening up several new options to exploit.

He never once gave it a second thought when he instructed her to clutch onto him like she had in the clearing while trying to reenact their original plummet down the well. She had been quite hesitant to do so and only after having her body flush against his and her soft, fragrant hair mingling in vast contrast to his own silver locks during their ascent did he understand just why she had been so reluctant. He himself couldn't describe the feeling her proximity evoked, but it made him uncomfortable none the less.

Each attempt had been followed by a bout of meditation, but after that incident, even he couldn't concentrate on the task at hand. So, he called off their efforts for the day and retreated into the not-so-calming asylum of her room. He sat up late into the night, his back resting against the wall near her closet, reading and rereading his notes, his bare feet just inches from Tenseiga and Bakusaiga.

He had experimentally touched the uncovered blade of Tenseiga with his toe gaining no reaction from the healing blade, but when he came within a hair's breadth of Bakusaiga's hilt with his fingertips, he felt the immediate charge and backed away. This spawned another emergence of deep contemplation. At dawn, he dressed and placed his swords in his obi being careful not to touch Bakusaiga outside of its sheath.

He drew the protesting youki blade and jumped in the well hoping that it would have some kind of effect on the slumbering magic held with in the dark tunnel, but nothing happened. He didn't let that dampen his spirits. It was the perfect opportunity for the Miko to focus her concentration on something she should be able to sense with or without proper training. The youki imbued in Bakusaiga was stronger than even Sou'unga and if her powers were being repressed this might very well be the kind of encouragement they needed to present themselves.

Still, nothing came of it. He could not contain the disappointment and unmitigated frustration he felt with the downfall of yet another trial. He didn't want to be in the earthen hole any more that day and had locked himself in his temporary bedchambers with his mind focused on one thing and one thing only, the Miko's connection to the well.

He thought back to the entry he had her read in the library about the kyokotsu. At the time it had been the first thread of data he needed to begin formulating his theories. It had mostly been curiosity on his part about the reason why a seemingly ordinary human girl could travel through time along with a dense hanyou, yet it took a curse to grant a great Taiyoukai access to such power.

The answer therein lied with Kagome's connection to Kikyou, something she had explained in length during her account of how he came to be in this time and she in his. It was fascinating really, because he had always wondered why the undead Miko hated the girl and had asked her about it once earning a very vague, unhelpful answer, something about her hatred for all things. She died shortly thereafter.

He didn't exactly understand InuYasha's connection to the well, but considering the fact that the half-breed hadn't shown up, he assumed that the well was closed on both sides. The realization had caused him a small amount of pleasure, which was confusing, along with a deeper sense of regret.

He had risked the bed that night and spent his entire slumber wrapped in dreams of a smiling little girl making wreaths of flowers giggling as she did so, her sideways ponytail flittering in the wind as she chased a flailing Jaken about.

He awoke with a deep rooted determination gnawing impatiently at his gut and pushed all shameful thoughts of the Miko aside. He was going to force the well open with her help. He was a Taiyoukai and the son of the Great and Terrible InuTaishio, the terrifying Dog General of the Western Lands. His youki was his to control and no puny mortal, no matter what kind of powers she may have stolen, was going to keep him away from what was his.

His single minded, hell-bent attempt had only resulted in two things; injuring himself and Kagome, and bringing back that enamoring over the girl's flavor in the efforts to heal them both.

He had not been able to turn his focus away from the changes in her scent either. Her spike in arousal had hit him square in the olfactory senses and encompassed the earthen prison they were in, permeating every single inch of the air around them. It was second only to her undeniable trepidation mixed with her very innocent reactions, mingle that with her electrifying taste and he was hooked. Not even the hounds of Hell could drag him away.

He had never felt so refreshed and for once, he didn't try to analyze the reasoning behind it. He just let it be and allowed the delight in her flustered pandemonium to sit openly on the surface. Her blushing face and nervous stammerings were amusing to behold and her brother's teasing had elicited a slight chuckle on his part. Twice she stumbled on her way into the house, her legs still shaking. She had mutered the entire way under her breath. He found her behavior to be unexpectedly endearing.

"…you even listening to anything I'm saying?" Kagome asked snapping his thoughts back into the present.

"No." It was the truth.

He watched her let go of the rolling shopping cart in favor of placing her hands on her hips.

"What's the point of coming with me to the store if you're just going to stay locked up in your head? I bet if I hadn't been paying  
attention to make sure you were following me, you would have gotten yourself lost in the cereal aisle." She admonished playfully, the bashfulness of the day's earlier events washed away by their pilgrimage into town.

"Cereal?" He asked wanting clarification.

"You know that stuff I poured milk over this morning?"

He raised his eyebrow and she huffed crossing her arms over her chest. He hadn't been paying attention then either.

"I offered you some this morning right before we…" Her voice trailed off and her face reddened. "Nevermind."

She spun around abruptly clutching the cart again and propelled it forward with significantly increased gusto. He couldn't contain the smirk if he wanted to. It seemed he wasn't the only one still bothered by their earlier encounter. It made him really wonder what that meant.

He had never been attracted to humans before. It was something he avoided at all costs on both youkai and ningen sides of the spectrum. He had little use for such lascivious engagements. As much as he hated to admit it, his father's indiscretions had been an example set it unwavering stone. Sexual desire could get one into a very unsightly predicament rather quickly. In his father's case, the result of his escapade had cost him his life.

It wasn't that Sesshomaru hadn't ever been with a female, he had, but it was always on his terms, in his fortress, and ended as soon as he did. The bitch's wishes were never considered. It had been a release nothing more and he only picked the most beautiful of demonesses to share his bed. He had never been drawn to a female in his life, not like this.

Not saying that he was even considering such a thing with the Miko. Her unpretentious reactions had been a pallet cleanser, but had not stirred the same heat in his own loins, only his amusement. There was something more about her that drew him in. Almost like a moth to a flame.

He watched Kagome hold up her shopping list and studied her profile speculating just what it was that made her so damn different than the countless females that had fallen at his feet or the ones with pedigree and voluptuousness that his mother paraded around trying to get him to mate and produce an heir with. All of which he effectively ignored.

Yes, the Miko was beautiful in the rawest sense of the word. She didn't need the powders and lip stains most women needed to cover up blemishes because she didn't have any. Her eyes were an unusual color and it fed into the mystery of her very being. Perhaps that's why he impulsively wanted to be near her. She was a puzzle that needed to be solved and he so did enjoy enigmas, had ever since he was a pup.

Noriko used to bring him all kinds of brainteasers when he was small. Sometimes they would…

He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide and his mouth ajar causing Kagome to rush to his side in alarm.

"Sesshomaru, are you okay?" She asked distress defacing her usual melodious voice.

* * *

_Flashes of a smiling face with red painted lips in the fortress gardens, the same face he had seen in the forest and again in the clearing, with the offering of a simple child's puzzle toy._

_"Patience, young Master. One must always think ahead."_

_Gentle hands coming to cover his when he made a wrong turn in the linked coils helping to guide him in the right direction._

_"There you go. Easy does it. Now try the next one."_

_His hair being ruffled by the warm breath of his father's advisor as she laughed sweetly at the spectacle of his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth in his juvenile determination._

_"Very good, little one. I must say that you are quite adept at this to be so young. How very smart you are. Your father will be so proud."_

_Him smiling jovially at the praise and raising his arms to be lifted into the taller woman's embrace, her laughter on the wind dancing around them with the cherry blossoms._

_"Catch me if you can, Lady Noriko!"_

_His bare feet hit the grass running and her chasing after him tugging a lock of his hair when he would let her get too close._

_"Got you."_

_Her painted nails tickling his sides as he writhed and laughed in the grass._

_"S-Stop…I…y-yield…I…yield!"_

_She let him up while he tamed his laughter. He sprang at her being caught effortlessly and thrown into the sky making him feel like he was flying only to land in the safety of his only friend's arms._

_"Will you really be with us forever like father says?"_

_His arms looping around her neck, fingers toying with her golden earrings, as she set down on the side of the koi pond with him in her lap._

_"For as long as your father has need of me."_

_"What about me when I get big? Don't you want to stay with me, too?"_

_She beamed brighter than the noonday sun filling his heart with joy._

_"As you wish, young Master, as you wish."_

* * *

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome's oceanic depths stared up at him in confusion and concern, her hand resting on his arm.

He blinked and schooled his features back into their neutral mask. He pushed her hand away from him wanting nothing more to do with his contemplative thoughts on her attractiveness, nothing more to do with her. Human women were a curse to his blood line and he refused to make the same mistakes as his father and grandfather…The same mistake he had made as a young pup.

* * *

_Noriko kneeling at his father's armored feet, tears streaming down her face, hands folded pleading to the Taiyoukai to dispel her worst fears._

_The pain gripping his chest at the broken sight, barely an inkling of recognition in his mind of his father's advisor, a woman he was not allowed to converse with since he couldn't remember, and his mother's calm, amused voice near his ear._

_"You see, my son, the folly of such trust in humans? This whole time she was in love with your father. Tsk, such a pity he chose another mortal over her, a princess no less. I hear he has been seeing her quite often. What a lucky one you are to have a mother such as I protect you from all this, but you are destined for far greater things, Sesshomaru. Take care to harden your heart for what is to come."_

_The rage erupted from hot molten coals in his stomach and his heart seized in his chest. It was the first time he had lost a piece of himself, the first time he had come face to face with the sickening reality of betrayal, the first time he felt contempt towards his father, and the first step he took towards supreme conquest._

* * *

Kagome had been nothing but a distraction in a troubling situation. It was best to just solidify that rational in his mind this very instant. They were not friends, just common allies striving towards one goal, just as they had been during the hunt for Naraku. He could afford no ties to her, would not risk the chance of history repeating itself. He forced himself to only think of her as his half-brother's intended and had to contend with the flaring protests of his bestial side.

Kagome held no significance in his life. She was not beautiful. Her taste did not matter. Nothing she could ever do would captivate him. She was just another troublesome priestess whose powers were his ticket home. He could not falter. He would not falter.

He battled his instincts into submission, but discovered that he could not look at her directly lest the fragile wall come tumbling down.

"Finish quickly. This Sesshomaru has much to do upon our return to the Shrine." He stated coolly while tediously laying the mortar between the bricks shutting himself up once again.

With that he briskly walked passed her and out of the store. He found a small recess set inside the building's outer wall and settled there to scour over the multitude of repressed memories that had just clawed their way to the surface. This held the answer. This was the missing piece of the puzzle. It had to be.

* * *

A/N: I just want to apologize for this update being a little late. I was remodeling my son's room and the dang ceiling caved in his closet. So fixing that took up all my free time. A thousand apologies.

Thank you to Miss Undo, Silent Lyoness, GiggleboxGirlie, HalfBlackWolfDemon, LoveInTheBattleField, Seraphina Dragon, OrihimeKurosakilnoue, & LilyLilah for their reviews.

Also to the readers & Lazurite Six, Sanji Himura, Snowdove30, myth48, NoxEcho, PyroFreak666, & Seraphina Dragon for their follows and faves.

All of you guys are AMAZING!

I know it's disappointing that Sesshomaru regressed in this chapter, but there is a method to the madness. I promise.

I figured that this would be the best way to address his memory of Noriko. In the episode The Woman Who Loved Sesshomaru, it took Sesshomaru a hot minute to remember Princess Sara even though she had been checking on him in the clearing while he was injured. I figured it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Sesshomaru to be highly selective about a woman he had trusted and that had ultimately hurt him. Seems to me that he would draw the determination from such a lesson and brush way the unnecessary details of who was involved. She was human after all.

Anyway, sorry for my ramblings.

Until next time,

~scattered-dimensions~


	25. Chapter 25

"There once were rumors of a dark Miko that travelled the lands shrouded in strange energies, lonely and immortal."

The weathered voice of Lord InuTaishio's old friend rode the wind around them as they approached the ancient glade.

"Whispers were heard that she sought the power to avenge her broken soul after leaving the service of her Lord."

InuYasha held up a fallen tree that had splintered from its trunk blocking their path. He waited for everyone to pass before letting it drop back into place.

"The wind carried chants and herbs of an ancient mixture that only the oldest spirit youkai knew. He took on an apprentice in his elder years. Taiki's voice has not been heard since."

Rin gasped and her eyes widened in recognition of the name.

"Then there was the father of all shapeshifters and the creator of the purest barrier, Yoshio, who spoke of a sad, beautiful woman that came to him for guidance. He too faded from the wind."

InuYasha could see the bare branches of Bokuseno through the thicket, his aura so strong that it stifled the entire area.

"Now, there are voices speaking of insurrection and the mysterious absence of the Western Lord. These voices do not whisper, they shout."

InuYasha pushed through the last of the underbrush and stood before the old youkai magnolia tree. Bokuseno's face emerged from the bark, his sharp eyes staring studiously at the hanyou.

"Tell me, Master InuYasha, do you know what has become of your brother?" There was no decorum in the greeting.

"Keh, half-brother. Why do I have to keep telling everyone this?" He retorted with a snort folding his hands in his sleeves.

Bokuseno's demeanor never changed. Rin brushed past him and bowed low to the tree youkai.

"Bokuseno-sama, my Lord has been cursed and sent through the Bone Eater's well with the Shikon Miko Kagome." The young girl explained getting straight down to business.

The gnarled roots of the tree shifted and soil fell away as they rose from the ground seemingly of their own accord.

"I see, little one. Come, sit, sit. There is much to discuss." The ancient tree invited motioning with his upper branches to the roots that were now still.

InuYasha remained standing, but took up a post in front of his seated charges with Ah-Un covering his flank. They were in the Western lands and had been attacked not two hours ago. Destination reached or not, he needed to stay on his guard. Something was definitely brewing around here and it had the locals all up in murderous arms.

"I take it you know who Noriko is?" InuYasha asked his eyes darting about warily.

"She was your father's most trusted advisor and had been granted longevity by your grandfather. Yes, I know her. She has walked this glade many times, though I have not seen her in nearly 500 years. She is the one who cursed the Western Lord." Bokuseno said knowingly.

"And you know where the Bone Eater's well goes, right?" The hanyou asked gruffly and he caught Rin giving him one of those bone chilling glares.

"I know it is a portal to the future and I also know that it has been sealed." The tree confirmed.

"Pardon me, Bokuseno-sama, but how would you know that?" Rin asked her features openly curious.

"Such manners. It seems Lord Sesshomaru has taught you well." Bokuseno's eyes cut to InuYasha, who just glowered back defiantly, before turning them back to the girl. "You have to understand that we trees speak to one another and the Bone Eater's well is made from the Goshinboku. We talk from time to time."

"That is very interesting. Thank you…You mentioned a demon named Taiki…" She continued.

"Yes, the one who found the cure for demons." Bokuseno answered cordially, clearly enjoying his conversation with the little human girl.

"But I thought that was a myth? The scrolls I read were so ancient and Lord Sesshomaru had never heard of such a thing." She commented with a furrowed brow and the magnolia tree chuckled.

"He educated you well, indeed. Taiki stayed in hiding, a hermit hidden away from the world of man. If they were to gain possession of such a power and learn to wield it, then us demons would have been extinct centuries ago. If a demon had need enough to find him, they would." He explained.

"Why would anyone make something like that?" Shippo asked from Rin's side.

"Not everyone wishes to be what they are, kit. Some youkai do not want to endure centuries worth of loneliness and, more often than not, persecution. For those who wished to live one lifetime and die as a mortal does, Taiki held the answer." The tree answered sagely.

"Did Lady Noriko take his power like Lord Masahiro's?" Rin slid down from her perch to stand beside InuYasha her attention focused on Bokuseno's creased face.

"That she did, but it was only after she spent several years under his tutelage. The potion of mortality had specific ingredients that had to be cultivated a careful way and it involved an understanding of dark magic. Blood was also an ingredient, but as for the rest, this old tree knows very little." Rin nodded, her face serious as she took in everything she was told.

"So you know Sesshomaru's mortal?" InuYasha interjected.

"The Goshinboku told me. Noriko had originally wished retribution upon your father, but Lord InuTaishio died before she could return to the West. I've heard whispers of her whereabouts, but not of her actions until a lunar cycle ago. The wind carried her waning lifespan to me and I knew that she had found the Dog General's sons."

"Yeah, she did, but Kagome ran in the middle of it when she cast the damn spell...Hey, wait just a freakin' minute, if you knew that the wench was coming after us why didn't you say anything?" The thought hit InuYasha suddenly and just came tumbling out.

"You talk to trees, do you?" InuYasha growled and looked away from the amused youkai.

"The ancient texts said that the spell had no cure." Rin nearly whispered her head hung low with her bangs hiding her face.

"Indeed, child, that is true. The spell was meant to dispel youki permanently, completely irreversible, but if Kagome was involved in this act, her powers were the ones taken." The tree concurred gently.

"You mean Sesshomaru is in Kagome's time with all those humans still the same iced-up asshole he was here?" InuYasha asked horror-struck.

"No. You see, InuYasha, the spell was meant to seek out the strongest aura, such as the youki of a demon, purifying it and leaving behind the demon's weaker senses, turning him mortal. It was a spell only to be wielded by a very powerful youkai, but Noriko is a human Miko who wielded youki. Her spiritual powers acted as a deterrent and sought out Kagome's reiki. From the information I have gathered about the incident, Kagome shielded Lord Sesshomaru from a blow that would have killed him. Currently, he is only temporarily incapacitated." Bokuseno replied with a heavy sigh at the foul language used in his sanctuary.

"How am I supposed to get her home if she doesn't have her powers?" InuYasha's shoulders drooped and his ears flattened.

Rin threaded her fingers through his and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"There is a way. The Tree of Ages holds a magic far older than even me. Its origin is saturated in the blood of demons from a time when man was still young. This spell was a blood born ritual as well and it used up most of Noriko's stolen demonic energy. It is only her reiki that remains. The key is in the dark Miko's blood, but there would need to be a simultaneous surge in power from the other side of the well to invoke a response. Her weak powers alone are not enough. Lord Sesshomaru's youki would suffice, but it will only work once." The tree said giving everyone in the grove hope and lifting a terrible weight off of their shoulders.

"So how will I know when to bleed the wench?" InuYasha asked coldly making Rin gasp and pull her hand away.

"Use your father's fang, pup. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga are brothers, just as you and Sesshomaru are. There is no fabric of time and space that could separate them fully." The branches of the youkai tree swayed in the breeze almost as if they were punctuating Bokuseno's explanation.

"Got it." InuYasha's face did not give away the internal moral battle raging on the inside.

"Umm, Bokuseno-sama, there were four marks on her." Rin asked meekly, not wanting to leave anything untouched and not wanting to offend, either.

"I would very much like to speak with you at length, little one. When Lord Sesshomaru returns, have him bring you to visit. There is much I could tell you that you could not find in any scroll."

Rin smiled brightly and nodded.

"Now, onto your question…Lord Masahiro gave the remainder of youki as a gift. You know of Taiki and then there was Yoshio, a demon she seduced by careful manipulations of the heart, and of course, Lady Avaka…"

Three mouths fell open in astonishment. Shippo looked between the tree youkai and his companions wondering who this Lady Avaka was.

"Sesshomaru's mother…but why?" InuYasha asked unbelievingly.

"Most hearts hold shadows that no compassion could dare touch and that female's heart is as black as they come. It was no secret that she was greatly humiliated by your conception, though InuTaishio did not care. He had found his true mate in Lady Izayoi, your mother. So enamored was he...Avaka, on the other hand, had painstakingly groomed Sesshomaru to become the next Taiyoukai and she has held onto her position of power even to this day. The union between your father and mother threatened that. It is possible that she and Noriko were once in league with one another, two females betrayed by one male."

"Keh, I don't see why. Totosai said that my father cared for Noriko. That meant that everyone knew he didn't love her. So what if he fell in love with my mother?" InuYasha grumbled defensively.

"He cared for Noriko as a friend, yes, but there was a time when your father was young and the pressures of being a Prince weighed heavily upon him. Noriko and your father were very close in his younger years. They joined in the most carn…"

Jaken dropped his staff and clamped his hands around Shippo's ears the same moment InuYasha's eyes widened and his hands flew to the sides of Rin's head.

"Okay, okay. I get the idea. Is there anything else that we need to know that doesn't involve…that?" InuYasha asked giving Rin a nervous smile when she tilted her head up to look at him questioningly.

"Just one more thing, Master InuYasha. The other lands have noticed Lord Sesshomaru's absence. There is dissention floating about. When he returns, he will not be himself. Should he be attacked and killed, all the lands will be put on the brink of war." Bokuseno cautioned.

"Keh, his mother will protect him." InuYasha said sarcastically, letting his hands drop from Rin's ears.

"We shall see." The elder tree's voice began to fade as did his face until there was nothing but the textured bark of the trunk and the sound of the wind through the branches.

Shippo and Jaken jumped down from their roosts. Jaken fumbled around in the leaves looking for his staff, mumbling about Lord Sesshomaru and something about death while Shippo jumped up onto InuYasha's shoulder.

"Are you really going to do it, InuYasha?" Shippo asked referring to killing Noriko who was now prone and defenseless.

InuYasha looked to Rin who was assisting Jaken in his search.

"I honestly don't know, Shippo. It was different when she was shooting balls of reiki, but now she's all old and frail. It would be murder." InuYasha replied sadly.

"Found it, Master Jaken! How'd it wind up way over here?" Rin exclaimed handing the Staff of Two Heads over to the elated kappa.

"Thank you, Rin." He said hugging the wooden youki cane with a silly smile.

"I'm going to get some of the dried food out of Ah-Un's saddle bags, Shippo. You make sure nothing happens to them." InuYasha said, his voice solemn and carrying none of his usual bravado.

"Yeah…sure thing." Shippo replied picking up on his friend's mood immediately and hopped down to let the hanyou retreat.

Ah-Un nuzzled InuYasha's fire-rat haori, their eyes sad. He gave them both a half-hearted pat and sighed pushing his fingers into his sleeves to stroke the golden wedding band.

He loved Kagome more than anything, but could he really slit someone's throat that couldn't fight back? There was a piece of him that said do it, that she deserved it after all she had done. Noriko had murdered Kami only knew how many beings and was responsible for taking away Kagome's spiritual powers, the very powers that had led her to him in the first place. If it hadn't been for them, he'd still be rotting away on the Goshinboku.

The larger part of him was saying that he couldn't do it. He had committed murder only once in his life and it had been because his demon blood took over. He had no memory of it, but saw the aftermath first hand, had washed the sickening blood off of his claws. Most of the bandits had been fleeing and even though they were despicable men, he regretted it. He remembered the looks on his understanding friends' faces when they told him it was okay, that he hadn't been himself, but it wasn't okay. Those men died by his hands.

Noriko was no different. If he did this, it would make him the monster he never wanted to be and Kagome would never look at him the same again. She would be back where she belonged, yes, but would she keep her promise to him if she knew? Would she regret coming back?

InuYasha hung his head and trudged to the bags hanging off the saddle. He pulled out a sack full of cured meat and one with dried fruits. There wasn't much left in the water skin, but it would tide them over until they could make it back to the river. He marched back over to the seated group and handed out the rations, nibbling on his own without an actual appetite.

He looked at Rin and then dropped his head. She had been so angry when she found out he'd lied to her, but forgave him by the end of the next day. Her nature was so loyal and honest. She loved Lord Sesshomaru just as much he loved Kagome. It was plain as the nose on his face.

Her reaction to his apathetic question had not escaped his notice. If she were to be so against the only option to bring back her Lord, then InuYasha didn't want to even think about what Kagome would do. A very thorough sitting would be the least of his worries. She might even break their bond completely. He couldn't live without her, but it seemed that it might happen either which way he went.

There was no way he could make this decision on his own. He needed to talk to Kaede. She'd know what to do.

* * *

A/N: I made a serious omission in the first paragraph about Sesshomaru's thoughts in Chapter 24. I'm very sorry about that, but I fixed it thanks to someone bringing the mistake to my attention.

I was in a hurry and had some formatting issues, but I do proofread my work before I post it, though I'm not perfect, obviously. ^_^ Sometimes the words just run into one another or I miss something altogether. If you see anything that needs correcting feel free to let me know.

Thank you Miss Undo, GiggleboxGirlie, plwolf1, LoveInTheBattleField, Silent Lyoness, HalfBlackWolfDemon, & OrihimeKurosakilnoue for their reviews and encouraging words.

Also a big thanks to plwolf1, Mangagrl2665, witchenmoon1, 0xPYROx0, & Clipse for their follows and faves.

More to post soon,

~scattered-dimensions~


	26. Chapter 26

"Uncle InuYasha!" Yuuta and Emi yelled excitedly, running up to the hanyou with their arms held up.

He cracked a grin and picked up Emi, balancing her on his hip while he waved his other hand at Yuuta. The little boy's face screwed into deep concentration as he backed up. He took off at a run and right before he reached InuYasha, he jumped as hard as he could. InuYasha caught him around the middle and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of rice, both of the twins laughing at his antics.

"Did you miss me, runts?" He asked not able to contain his own chuckle.

"Yes!" Two tiny voices exclaimed in perfect harmony, Emi giving him the best hug her short arms would allow.

"Did you get us anything?" Yuuta asked curiously, propping himself up on his elbows to look over his shoulder at InuYasha.

"Sure, kid. I got you a fox." InuYasha replied jutting his chin towards Shippo who was dismounting Ah-Un behind Rin.

"Shippo!"

InuYasha cringed at the shrill volume of the tots' combined voices. He put the squirming duo on their feet and watched with a smirk as they ran full blast for the frozen, wide eyed kitsune.

"Now guys, be gentle…I'm a little…oomph…gent…ly…" Shippo tried to warn as the unheeding children jumped him.

There was a collective round of snickers from the travelling companions as Shippo was taken to the ground by the children, his arms flailing. Rin came to his rescue lightly tugging the back of the twins' clothing.

"Sowwy, Shippo." Emi said with a sheepish smile unwrapping her arms from around the nearly blue kit's neck.

"Yeah, sorry." Yuuta mimicked his sister's actions.

"It's…okay…just…give…me…a…minute…" Shippo gasped scrambling to his feet trying to regain his breath.

Yuuta and Emi giggled and ran around the heaving Shippo to Rin who smiled down at the pair affectionately.

"Have you two been behaving yourselves?" She asked sounding older than she actually was.

They beamed up at her and nodded emphatically.

"Yes. We've been on our very best behavior." Yuuta answered for them both.

Emi nodded in agreement taking her brother's hand.

"It seems they took your orders quite seriously, InuYasha." Miroku exclaimed walking from his post outside Kaede's hut.

"Keh, I knew they would. They're not as slippery as you, houshi." InuYasha replied jokingly and Miroku laughed.

"From your lips to the Kami's ears. Hey, InuYasha." Sango remarked with a kiss to the hanyou's cheek, then held out a bundled Kaori for InuYasha to greet.

InuYasha let the gurgling baby latch onto his finger while she cooed her own welcome.

"How's everything been?" InuYasha asked distracted by the tiny laugh he received when he brushed part of his hair against the baby's face.

"There were no attacks and the villagers are doing well. The food stores have held thus far and there have been no illnesses." Miroku reported as InuYasha disentangled himself from the babe's sure grip.

Sango began ushering the children to her hut as Miroku and InuYasha started off towards Kaede's. Jaken was left behind to wrestle the stubborn double dragon into submission who was trying to follow Sango as well. The kappa was failing miserably.

"What about the wench?" InuYasha asked quietly, his mind once again a cacophony of what ifs and terrible endings.

"She's alive, though just barely. She's been speaking with Kaede as of late. Perhaps her conscience has gotten the better of her." Miroku answered hope clear in his voice.

"It wouldn't matter if it did." The hanyou muttered and Miroku lifted an eyebrow.

"Why not? What did you find out?" The monk asked seriously.

InuYasha didn't answer him. They had reached Kaede's and the hanyou was preparing himself for the less than pleasurable encounter he was about to have. He took a cleansing breath before pulling the door covering aside. Miroku made to follow, but InuYasha held out his arm to stop him.

"Rin will fill you in, but I need to talk to Kaede alone." InuYasha stated and Miroku nodded understandingly turning back down the path.

"Allow me to assist you with that, Jaken." The well-mannered houshi offered taking the reins from the fatigued toad and leading Ah-Un to the stables without a fuss.

InuYasha stepped inside and had to physically restrain himself from gagging. That scent…

The scent of death was stronger than it had been, but it was coming from the woman lying on the pallet, not the old woman with the eye patch seated near the fire. Kaede's scent hadn't changed and InuYasha felt relieved though it was bittersweet. She hadn't gotten better either.

"It is good to see ye, InuYasha. How have ye faired?" Kaede greeted moving to stand, but InuYasha shook his head and plopped down in front of her so she wouldn't have to move.

"Well, I didn't need these. What about you?" He asked genuinely concerned handing her the bag of healing herbs.

"I am still here." She said with a smile taking the proffered bag and InuYasha just smiled back.

"Nice to see you can follow orders." He replied, his face drooping a bit, his heart not in the jest.

"I take it you were told something troubling." The wizened woman said picking up on his dampened mood.

InuYasha peered over his shoulder to Noriko who hadn't moved since he came in.

"She is sleeping. It will not be long now." Kaede explained.

"That's what I need to talk to you about, Kaede. Bokuseno told me that the spell Noriko cast was meant to take youki just as she said, but because she was a Miko using demonic energy, the spell attacked Kagome instead. She doesn't have her powers anymore and there's no cure for it." InuYasha explained remorsefully, his heart breaking to say the last few words.

"There is always a way, InuYasha. Tell me the rest." Kaede soothed patting the upset hanyou's hand comfortingly.

"Bokuseno said that Sesshomaru is incapacitated, that Kagome shielded him and he said that I should use Tetsusaiga to tell me when it is the right time." His fingers were busy playing with his sleeves dreading Kaede's next inevitable question.

"Right time for what, InuYasha?" The old Miko asked her eye narrowing suspiciously.

"Bokuseno said that the answer is in Noriko's blood and that Sesshomaru must flare his youki the same moment her blood comes in contact with the Bone Eater's well." InuYasha continued his voice dropping low and his chin hitting his chest.

He knew how it sounded and he couldn't believe he was actually considering it, but he had to get Kagome back somehow.

"I see. Ye know that such a ritual would require all of her life force, InuYasha. She is too weak for only a few drops to suffice." Kaede said her disappointment clearly defined in her tone.

"I know, Kaede. I know. What I need to know is…what I mean is…what do I do?" He floundered unable to properly express his turmoil and Kaede sighed.

"Tis not my decision. However, it would be an act of murder should ye take her from her deathbed and slay her. I cannot condone such a thing, but nor can I stop ye. Perhaps it would be beneficial for ye to talk with her."

Kaede rose from her spot and walked out of her own hut leaving InuYasha staring into the fire contemplating his options morosely.

* * *

Kagome didn't know what happened.

Sesshomaru's demeanor did a complete one-eighty the moment he spaced out on her in the store. All the progress he had made just disappeared and he turned back into the same stoic jerk he'd always been. He no longer took the evening meal with her family, didn't talk to them outside of terse, short answers to whatever question they asked only to retreat to her room closing the door behind him, and started meditating on his own at odd intervals of the day.

He stopped sharing theories with her and never once had he allowed her to join him during his experiments with the well. His golden eyes had turned cold and the hard set of his jaw, when she tried to be friendly, told her he was no longer receptive to it.

His behavior…hurt.

Today was the eighth day since his emotional blockade went up and she was beyond upset. There wasn't even anger anymore, just pain. As if she didn't have enough to deal with. Her memories of her friends, of InuYasha, were weighing as heavily on her psyche as the indifferent Taiyoukai, just out of her metaphorical reach upstairs, was. Not to mention her reiki hadn't even given her a single hint that it was still active and her doubts were unavoidable. What if they were gone? How would she get back to the past then? Is that why Sesshomaru was angry?

No, it didn't seem likely. They had failed so many times and being the cantankerous demon he was, he would have acted this way from the very beginning if that was the case. There was something else bothering him, but whatever it was eluded her completely.

He wasn't overly rude to anyone and it seemed like the only person he tolerated the most was her mother. That was the only clue she had that told her there was more to his attitude than just what and who he was. She tried to exploit that, tried to get closer to him as she had been, tried to be a friend by having her mother drop hints, but Sesshomaru was so closed off to it. His answers were always respectful to the elder Higarashi, but sharp and to the point.

_'The Miko and this Sesshomaru are not friends. Now, if you will excuse me, there are many volumes that require my attention. I do not wish to be a further burden.'_

And that is exactly what he did. If he wasn't meditating, either in the backyard or the bottom of the well, he was using Bakusaiga or locked in her room researching every single library book she obtained, which she found herself doing religiously just because here lately, it was the only connection she had to him and it was the only way she felt like she was contributing to the cause.

He refused to allow her to tend his wounds and he didn't accompany her to town anymore. It was as if his mind was focused selfishly on his own return to the Feudal era, her accompaniment be damned.

She confronted him once on that very subject, her anger too overwhelming to be contained. Needless to say that had ended badly for her. He literally jerked her up by her throat and had scared her nearly to death, snarling in her face like some rabid animal, no intelligible vocal warning whatsoever. No one had been home at the time and when he finally put her on her feet, she fled the room, the door slamming behind her.

She just put band-aids on her neck and told her mother that it was a well experiment that went terribly wrong. It was a lie, of course, but she didn't have it in her for some reason to tell her mother the truth. Protecting Sesshomaru would never have been her first priority over her family's safety in the beginning. What had changed? Where were these feelings coming from?

There was something in her gut that told her he would never hurt her family, that his own programming had caused this relapse, that he was a good person just like Rin said, but he was having a hard time accepting it. That compassion didn't stop her from keeping a very close eye on him just in case.

He would stay up late into the night, the desk lamp as his only source of light, writing notes on the multiple sheets of loose leaf paper she had given him. She would watch through the crack in her door as his clawed fingers would sift themselves through his bangs and his eyes squinting at something on the page he was reading, then his opposite, roughly bandaged hand would be nothing but a series of frenzied movements trying to document his new findings. It was captivating and she felt like a crazed stalker.

She had never been this obsessed with anyone, not even when InuYasha would abandon everyone at the drop of a hat for Kikyou. She found herself checking on Sesshomaru every night and twice she covered him up with the blanket off of her bed while he slept face down on one of the library books that he had been studying, his hands still clutching the pen and a squiggly line etched on the paper inches away from the last word he had been writing.

He never acknowledged that she had been present in the room, never even acknowledged her period. It was like she was invisible unless she pushed herself up in his face with loud, pointed accusations. She still had the puncture wounds on her neck to remind her not to do that again. Her logical side told her that it was solely her connection to the well that stopped him, but a deeper rooted part said it was because he really did care for her on some level. She honestly didn't know what to believe.

She couldn't take it anymore. If he had discovered something, he needed to tell her. He was a very large, incredibly strong youkai, even as a mortal, but she would not cower and crow because of that. She was a benefit to his current situation and she needed him just the same. It could be an alliance of sorts, one that could be forgotten the moment their feet touched the soil of the Sengoku jidai.

Kagome took a deep, fortifying breath and set her foot upon the first carpeted step that would ultimately bring her to Sesshomaru. Her hands shook, not out of fear, but uncertainty, as she ascended the stairs. Before she knew it her hand was hovering over her bedroom's doorknob. She let her fingers drift over her sweat slicked palm and then raked her hand through her hair before balling up a fist and rapping sharply on the wooden door.

There was no sound for a moment and she thought perhaps he was outside, he moved about so silently these days, but then her desk chair creaked and the doorknob turned. Her breath stuck in her throat and her mind came to a screeching halt at the sight of a bare chested Sesshomaru. Her eyes remained transfixed on his well-defined pectorals until his gaze began to burn the top of her head like an ant under a magnifying glass.

Her head snapped up and she met the amber, unforgiving eyes of the Taiyoukai of the West. His face was placid, giving no hint toward his current emotion. Was he annoyed? Angry? Happy to see her? She couldn't tell. She cleared the sudden lump in her throat covering her mouth with her fist politely as he just stood there watching.

"Sesshomaru, I have…I have something I want to say." She said faltering for just a second before regaining her composure.

Had she been this nervous walking up the stairs? She couldn't remember.

The scowl on his face spoke volumes, but he took a step back and allowed her to enter the room that had always belonged to her. She walked in feeling like a stranger within its four walls for the first time in her life and stared at the stacks of paper on the edge of her desk, the black markings marring the once pristine purity of the white sheets.

"What is it, Miko?" Bored, callous, uncaring.

Her chest constricted.

"I need to know what you've learned." She stated, her voice weaker than she had practiced.

There was a rustle of silk and then the very masculine scent that was Sesshomaru permeated the air in a short gust as he passed her to sit at the desk. His head was bowed over the current page he had been working on and his sophisticated fingers held the pen with precision like he would his own blade. He pushed the top of the ink stick over his shoulder granting her silent permission to take a seat on her bed. Yet another thing that had been conquered by another. She did as he bid, fidgeting silently with the hem of her skirt, her toes bunching and unbunching in the rug nervously.

"This Sesshomaru is busy, human. Speak your peace or get out." Cold, harsh, intolerant.

She was nauseous, but persevered.

"You must have something I could use to get my powers back and you know it's my reiki that will open the well. You can't just keep me in the dark." She replied, her voice growing in confidence every second he remained still, pen poised over paper hesitantly as if he was actually listening.

Then he slowly turned around.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to thank Miss Undo, HalfBlackWolfDemon, GiggleboxGirlie (You're very welcome.), Aintgotnone, & LoveInTheBatleField for their reviews.

Also to Rampaging Sorrow, laaLii1, & ChildOfTheZora for their follows & faves.

More to post soon,

~scattered-dimensions~


	27. Chapter 27

Noriko opened her eyes. It took a moment for her vision to clear. The disorientation she used to have upon waking from her dreams was no longer prevalent. She knew where she was. She was in Edo, in the old Miko Kaede's hut, and she was dying.

She was thirsty and had to put forth a substantial amount of effort to turn her head to ask Kaede for a cup of water which was odd because Kirara usually got the Miko's attention for her without pause. Noriko felt her heart stutter in her chest the moment her eyes met the blazing red fire rat robes of InuTaishio's youngest son.

"Keh. You're awake. Took you damn long enough." The brash hanyou said with a sneer.

She remained silent her tongue trying to wet her chaffed lips, but the dry appendage just upset the cracked flesh further.

"Thirsty, wench?" He asked displaying a cup of water in front of her face, but made no move to actually assist her.

She turned her face back to the thatched ceiling. She didn't have the strength to even lift her hand much less rise to take the cup and she refused to ask for his assistance. Much to her surprise, a calloused clawed hand lifted her grey head and pushed the wooden cup to her lips. She downed the cool fluid slowly and relished the feeling of the water soothing the grit in her throat. He let her finish before taking the cup away and replacing her head upon the futon.

"Thank you." She said honestly watching the hanyou fumble around in his billowing sleeve.

"Don't. You see this?" He asked holding up a small golden band. "You know who this belongs to?"

"Kagome." Noriko answered and InuYasha's lip curled.

"Her name just sounds wrong coming from your lips. Don't say it again." He growled placing the ring on his pinky, the band so small that it barely made it past his first knuckle.

He placed his hands on his knees, his father's fang resting against his shoulder as if he were displaying both items purposefully.

"I went to visit Bokuseno." He said and she felt like laughing.

Of course he did. The damn tree knew everything.

"Wanna guess what he told me or should I just tell you?" InuYasha asked.

He didn't give her a chance to speak this time.

"He told me that you killed two demons for their power on top of the youki my Gramps gave you. He said that you were going to attack my father, but didn't get to him in time and that Sesshomaru's mother helped you by giving you some of her youki."

He was partially right, but she let him finish. She was in no condition to argue.

"He also told me that the spell you cast was never meant to be wielded by a mortal. Did you ever stop and think that there would be adverse effects to your greed? That someone would get hurt? Do you even fucking care?"

She watched his lip curl again and his fingers flex on his knees. He wasn't finished and she knew it.

"Your reiki caused that spell to go wrong. It was Kagome you cursed not Sesshomaru. You hear me, bitch? Kagome's powers are gone because of you."

Now, that she hadn't expected. She had followed the proper process to the letter. The herbs had been tended and cultivated properly, her ingredients were perfectly measured. Even if the young priestess had involved herself, her reiki should have been safe.

"No." Her voice was unbelieving. No, this couldn't be true.

"Yes and you're going to fix it. How hard or easy it can be is up to you, but first I want to know why. So get to talking, wench."

* * *

Sesshomaru didn't want to see the little Miko today or any day for that matter. He did just fine without her around. His mind was clear, focused, and in perfect order, but just the sight of her standing in the doorway, visibly nervous and unsure had his mind in disarray all over again. He suppressed the urge to growl and held strong to his resolve.

He would not falter. She was nothing. Why did he have to keep reminding himself of these things?

Words were exchanged, words meaningless and forgotten the moment they were spoken. He let her in, it was her room after all, and prepared to continue his work.

She would not distract him. She was not worth his time. Yet another forced reminder.

Still, her very presence, her scent, even with his weaker senses, pervaded the room causing him to inhale the sweetness that was her with every breath and he found that he had lost his train of thought. So he held his breath and spoke. If she had nothing useful to say then she needed to go, simple as that, and he fully prepared himself to dive back into his research.

"…can't keep me in the dark."

He could and had been doing just that. Why was it so difficult to hear those words from her lips now? Why did it give him pause and why did his chest hurt?

The swiveling chair moved seemingly of its own accord and the ink pen fell from his fingers, its landing stifled by the smooth paper he had been writing on. His toes gripped the carpet pulling him around as if they were possessed and when he faced her, all aggravation faded. He found himself at the losing end of yet another battle of instinct verses conscious intelligence.

Her head was lowered, her chin resting in the hollow between her collar bones, her bangs hiding her delicate features from him…She wore her long hair in a high ponytail today. He shook his head at the absurdity of himself.

He didn't need her to look at him for him to know she was nervous. The way her hands crinkled and uncrinkled the hem of her short skirt showed that particular emotion. Nor did he need a vocal affirmation to know that she was intimidated to question him. The bandages on her slender, creamy neck were all the evidence they both needed to prove what he was capable of.

It was suddenly hard to breath and his throat burned. The brown fabric against that pale flesh of hers was ugly, but not as ugly as the marks his claws had left behind.

He had to make a pointed effort to remind himself, once again, that his actions had been justified. She had screamed in his face, had insulted him. He had done it to scare her away. It obviously hadn't worked.

Now the guilt was a stone weighing heavily on his shoulders making it difficult to ignore the facts. He should have never touched her. She had been in the right, all undignified yelling aside. He had been shutting her out, but he needed to.

"Please, Sesshomaru. I want to go back, too, and I promise to do whatever necessary to stay out of your way, just please tell me what you know. I know you don't want to be around me, but we have to work together on this."

She was human, just like the countless others he had feasted upon with his mother in his youth. Their screams and pleadings had fallen on deaf ears, but hers wouldn't. No, she was a different creature, mortal or not.

He had cursed her very existence, had retreated from her fully, and had meditated fervently on his teachings, but for some reason she was always there, just on the very cusp of every thought he had. There was no escape from this little onna and he cared not the reason why. He just wanted it to end, for everything to be as it was before…safe, calm, simple.

Her fingers, blunt nails tipping slender, delicious digits, continued pulling at that course blue material exposing her thighs and giving him a tiny glimpse of what he had truly caused by his savage behavior. His scrutiny must have gotten to her because her knees began to tremble and one of the knee length stockings she wore sagged to her ankle. He had the sudden urge to smooth it back into place.

Sesshomaru slapped himself mentally and focused his attention on the moon outside the window. This is why he didn't want her around. This is why he had tried so hard to keep her away, to ward her off in the cruelest way he could think of. Gods, he was losing his mind.

"Please…"

Pitiful, anxious…

"Sesshomaru…."

Thick and sweet…

"I need…"

"Enough, Miko." He said stopping her pleadings.

Begging did not suit her. She was stronger than this. It was his reflexive miscalculation that was the cause for these timid fumblings and he would not have it.

He met her searching eyes with his own and felt more tired than he ever had in all the centuries since his birth. It was a mental exhaustion spawned from his internal indecision. He had battled himself for over a week, had avoided her, and her family like they truly did carry a plague. He had tried to hold true to his beliefs. They were valid. They held merit and they had been proven time and again, but why…

_Why_ couldn't he stay strong against this one ningen female? Why did she affect him so?

It was a maddening process and one he could not sustain any longer. She had come here for an alliance, a truce, and he could see no reason, outside of his own selfish turmoil, to not oblige her. She was right and, as much as he loathed admitting it, they needed each other.

He simply turned back to the desk and pulled out several sheets of paper that detailed his latest, most promising theory. It had been Rin's blessed memory that set him on the right track. It had been an ancient scroll in his library, something that had belonged to his father that had piqued the girl's curiosity. The text was about a spirit demon named Taiki who had supposedly found a way to turn a demon mortal.

At the time he had dismissed it as legend, not giving it much thought. If he remembered correctly, that was during the drought in the southernmost parts of his lands. There had been so many missives to go through that he had to stack the majority of them on the floor next to his heaping desk just to have room to write. He had left the mystery up to his ever inquisitive ward to ponder on her own time.

Kagome's fingers abandoned their fidgeting to grasp the papers from him. He waited as she read over his findings. Her brow furrowed almost immediately and he knew why. What he had been able to uncover about this particular ritual did not entirely make sense. For one thing, he was still a demon even if his youki was suppressed. For another, it was Kagome, a human priestess that seemed to have been affected on a more permanent level.

The way her eyes flew wide and her mouth gaped slightly in a silent gasp told him that she had just read that part of his summery. She flipped to the last page that had only one word scribbled on it and her hand fisted over her heart.

"Blood?" She asked looking at him warily.

"Yes, Miko. From what I have been able to gather from the books you have brought me and from my memories on Rin's find, the spell had been some form of blood ritual. I deduce that it may very well be blood that will open the well, but I am uncertain as to whose." He explained watching her features relax a little.

"You wrote that it was my spiritual powers that were affected not your own?" It was a question, one that had caused many a sleepless night.

"There are several ways to look at this, Miko. The most basic being that the spell did not work properly. Obviously, I am not completely mortal. If the spell had done its job, then I would be human and would not be having my powers surge back to life every time I taste you." He stated making her blush and look away.

Sesshomaru ignored her discomfort and barreled on with his vexing synopsis.

"You, however, have no reaction to my blood and have done the proper mental exercises as well as coming into direct contact with a youki blade. Something should have happened by now, but hasn't. I deduce that your powers were the ones taken because it was a Miko that conjured the spell."

"Why would her being a priestess have anything to do with the spell? It was meant to cure demons." Kagome asked not fully understanding.

"The cure, as you so call it, was created by a demon. Its purpose was to seek out a demon's youki and destroy it leaving behind a mortal shell. A Miko does the very same thing with their reiki only the demon is completely purified and turned into ash. This spell does not hold such properties from what I can tell because there is no holy energy in it. Normally, a priestess should not be able to harness a youkai tactic of any kind, but… "

He raked his hands through his hair and cleared his throat. It was beyond shameful what he was about to say, but the moment he looked at her battered neck he stuffed his pride down. She deserved the truth at the very least.

"I knew Noriko. She was my father's advisor and my grandfather gave her the last bit of his youki on his deathbed. I was but an infant then. That is what allowed her to wield this power."

"Is that what happened in the store? You remembered?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. My mother commanded I stay away from her at an early age. She said that humans were filthy, disgusting, stupid creatures and that my father was too compassionate for his own good. She was right though I did not believe it at the time."

"Was she?" Her voice was challenging and irritated.

It stirred his own ire and he had to force the turbulent emotion into submission. He had never felt so out of control around anyone. This girl was slow torture of the worst kind.

"She was and still is. This Sesshomaru will not debate the right or wrongs of 587 years' worth of beliefs and youkai pride. I am a Taiyoukai and the pureblood son of the late InuTaishio. My pedigree alone is enough to command the respect of any youkai regardless their station or loyalties. Every time a human mixes with our kind, disaster follows. It has been proven by our current predicament and by my father's miserable death among other things. We are from two worlds, Miko. They should never mesh." He stated with authority.

"Fair enough, I guess…You said that priestesses were not supposed to be able to use youki. How could your grandfather have given her such power? I would think that the contradiction alone would have killed her." Kagome conceded keeping her focus on the task at hand.

"Normally such a process would be done between two demons, but only if the recipient were powerful enough to harness the invading youki. Noriko was the liaison between the youkai and ningen worlds and had negotiated multiple treaties. My grandfather was attacked because of this when his back was turned by the Northern Lord and suffered a fatal wound that robbed him of his life slowly. It was then that he granted Noriko the remainder of his power and left this world. I do not know how it was that she lived afterwards. Perhaps it was because my grandfather's youki had significantly diminished." Sesshomaru explained grateful for the compromise.

"I take it your grandfather's death started a war." She said wisely and he nodded.

"Indeed. The West was victorious of course; our troops being led by my father, but the human settlements abandoned their promises and most fled. There were several renegotiation attempts, but all failed. My father kept Noriko around as his personal advisor, though I know not what she actually advised him on. I do remember that most of our domain had been devastated by the fighting and that it took several centuries for the West to regain its strength. Only one human village remains loyal to the West from those times." He continued.

"So what happened to make her want revenge against your father? To make her attack you and InuYasha?" She asked getting down to the most infuriating part of the entire ordeal, a part that he refused to speak in detail about.

"She was a human given a gift that she squandered for whatever selfish reason. She was a fool to think that she could harm this Sesshomaru and will pay for her misdeeds when we return." He growled.

Kagome was looking at her feet rubbing the bandages on her neck idly.

"Okay, let me get this straight. Noriko was using your grandfather's youki to cast the spell that was supposed to rob you of your powers. Instead, it focused on me because of my interference and…" She said slowly, her face hidden by an ebony curtain.

"It is my belief that you would have been affected without the interference, Miko. You were able to sense the dark energy much more acutely than I, remember. It had targeted you the moment she conjured the spell. I do not believe Noriko had the proper control needed even with her additional abilities." He corrected.

"Is there a cure or some kind of antidote?" She asked her voice barely above a whisper.

"No." There was no point in denying the facts.

"You said that this was only one way to look at it. What's the other?" She asked finally raising her head to look at him.

Her sapphire eyes sparkled with unshed tears and he felt his gut flip sickeningly.

"That this Sesshomaru is entirely wrong. I am working with texts that have the small truths shrouded in fanatical imaginings and lies. My memories of this woman are few and far between. The only real piece of evidence I have is the scroll Rin found and even then I had been too busy to devote much attention to it. There is still the question of how we were transported through the well to begin with and there is nothing in these books or even in my knowledge that can explain it. There may be a connection that is being missed. It is likely that I have followed the wrong thread, though I do not believe it likely."

"No, I don't think you're wrong either. It makes the most sense. If she was your father's personal advisor then I'm sure she had access to your libraries or archives or whatever it is you have…She would have been able to find that scroll the same way Rin did…You said this was a blood ritual. Does that mean Noriko would've had to use her own blood to create the spell?" She contemplated her voice soft and gloomy.

He didn't like it, not at all, but she was battling through her personal feelings to stay grounded enough to get the raw basic facts. He respected that. If it wasn't for the annoying desire to comfort the distraught onna, he would say that she was a complete asset.

"That is what I recall from the scroll. The caster would have to imbue their own energy into the elixir granting them access to the spell's powers." He answered.

"I'm guessing that you think since the blood of a Miko was used to cast the spell, then the same would have to be used to get us back." She surmised and he nodded.

"That was my line of thought, yes."

"But I'm not a Miko anymore and the well hasn't responded to anything so far." She hung her head again, her voice tiny and trembling.

She was losing her composure and his instincts were trying to claw their way out of their carefully established prison.

"Your blood has the ability to give this Sesshomaru his youki back. All is not lost, Miko." He said trying to keep the inevitable from happening.

He heard a sniffle and her hand came up to wipe at her face under the concealment of her bangs.

"Don't call me that, okay. Just…just Kagome." She said sadly.

His heart clenched in his chest and he felt his insides begin to tremble with the effort to keep his sensibilities in check. Her silent tears were turning into frame racking sobs and he felt the instinctual need to dispel her melancholy bash against the mental cell door, placing well defined cracks in its formidable hinges.

"Ex…cuse…m-me…" She apologized brokenly and ran from the room.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Miss Undo, GiggleboxGirlie, LoveInTheBattleField, Silent Lyoness, laa-Lii1, HalfBlackWolfDemon, & Guest for their reviews.

Also a thank you to the readers & megankim, MoukoToradoshi1986, & Ashlyn Braere for their follows and fave.

I'm sorry everyone got upset when Sesshomaru jerked up Kagome, but hey…it's not a Sess/Kag fic until he grabs her by the throat. LOL Besides there's a rhyme and reason behind everything he does and I hope I portrayed that in this chapter.

If I offended anyone, it was not my intent. Sess is an emotionally stunted demon and he's responding in the only way he knows how while trying to cling to a lifetime of rigorous teachings and hard learned lessons. I don't think Kagome is pining over him. I think she's realizing that she actually cares for him on a deeper level outside of him being a living person...er, youkai. You know what they say, absence makes a heart grow fonder...

Anyways, she needs his help to get back through the well and she couldn't continue to slink around the shadows at night out of fear or curiosity (though her spying did show her some of his endearing qualities). She approached him diplomatically even if she was a little nervous in doing so.

I hope everyone enjoyed this update. Once again a thousand apologies to those who were upset by the last chapter. It will get better, I promise.

~scattered-dimensions~


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